Whispers from the Past
by sweetazkandi
Summary: My version of what happened when the Techno's arrived. The return of old faces and introuction of some new. I wrote this about 10 years ago now (at least!) hen The Tribe was first airing in the UK.


"Bray! Bray, it can't be the baby, it's too soon, it" Amber screams in pain as Bray looks on worried in the barn.  
Bray knew Amber was rite, she was only months pregnant, how could she be having the baby now? He thought to himself, praying everything would be okay. "It's okay Amber, I'm here, now come on, not long now, push!"  
Amber screamed, beginning to cry in pain.  
About three hours had gone bye, and Bray's face lit up as Amber gave birth successfully. He couldn't believe his eyes; Amber and he had a beautiful baby boy!  
"Look, Amber, we've got a son, a beautiful son!" Bray cried happily, but then looked at Amber confused. It can't be he thought; that's impossible!  
Amber looked drowsy, and Bray was astonished when he realized Amber was having twins!

Meanwhile back at the Mall, the Mall Rats looked on confused, what was the thunderous noise that had just swooped over them? KC had said it was a plane, but how? The adults have gone, and there aren't many kids who knew how to fly planes!  
Tai-San stood at the table, "Lex, come with me, I'm gonna go and speak with Ebony, see what that was."  
"But" Lex argued.  
"No buts, I'm going now, coming Trudy?" Tai-San asked.  
Trudy looked at Tai-San and shook her head, "I'll stay here with Pride and May, look after the Mall, you two go alone, we'll stay here."  
Tai-San nodded, as she and Lex headed down the stairs, the shadow of the Phoenix Statue hovering over them.  
"Andy, come on, we have to go now too." Tally said taking her brother's arm and ran down the stairs.  
"Tally! Andy! You two come back here!" Trudy yelled running after them.  
"But Ned's dead, and now Alice has gone, so don't you want us to go too?" Tally said looking at Andy.  
"Well of course not, you two are Mall Rats now, if you want I mean." Pride said as he and May approached.  
"Pride, you're not even one of us yet, you can't just waltz in here and say that." Trudy said looking at him frowning.  
"Well, Bray and Amber have gone, but I want to stay, if it's okay with you guys." Pride said looking at May. He smiled, and May hesitated then smiled back.  
"Okay, I mean if it's okay with the others, KC, May, Cloe?" Trudy said.  
KC and May nodded, then May turned to Pride and kissed him.  
"Trudy, where have Ellie and Jack gone?" KC asked.  
"They went back to the Mall, look, Pride, can you stay here and look after the little ones, I'm going to go and get something?" Trudy asked putting her coat on.  
"Well sure, but Trudy where are you" May asked, her arm around Pride. She tried to finish her sentence, but Trudy had left the Mall by then, Brady in her arms.  
"I'm going with her, bye!" Cloe said chasing Trudy.

Ellie and Jack had almost reached the farm when they heard screaming from the barn. The two of them ran towards the barn.  
"Who's there?" Ellie asked.  
"No! No, I won't let you, Moz, Moz!" A stranger yelled from behind the haystacks.  
"Hey, it's okay, come out." Jack said. He crept around the corner and stared curiously. "Dee?"  
"Jack! Thank god it's you!" She cried and stood up to hug Jack.  
"Will someone please tell me what's going on here?" Ellie asked, a jealous look crossed her face as Dee and Jack hugged. "Jack?"  
"Oh, this is Dee, I met her when I was with the Chosen, she's the leader of the  
Mozzies." Jack explained as Dee stared at Ellie.  
"But, I thought Moz?" Ellie asked confused.  
"Yeah, Dee led the tribe, then she disappeared, Moz took over." Jack explained.  
"Jack, please, I have to talk to you." Dee said a worried look on her face.  
"Come on then, we can go inside." Ellie said rolling her eyes and she walked in front of Dee and Jack, towards the house.

Luke was confused, he didn't know whether or not to go with the Guardian or not.  
The plane circled around them again, a parachuter jumped out, and landed in the water.  
"That's them Luke, they've arrived, and these people don't play for fun, they mean business, come with us, we can be safe under the guardianship of Zoot." The  
Guardian clasped his hand and a smile crossed his face.  
Luke groaned, then he heard a gunshot in the distance, "come on then!" He said walking towards the Guardian.  
The Guardian smiled proudly, as he and Luke stepped into the helicopter, and made their way over to Hope Island.  
Three men ran towards them, one of them carrying a gun, "Rider! It's too late, they've gone."  
"Okay, fall back, we have more important things to worry about, to the stadium!"  
Rider ordered his men, who were dressed in tight silver wear, each with silver masks on their face, except Rider.

Back at the barn, Bray jumped as the door swung open.  
"Salene?" He said, squinting his eyes as the sun shone brightly on him.  
Amber continued screaming, as the three strangers approached. "Bray!" She cried, squeezing her hands tightly.  
"Bray?" A quiet, female voice squeaked from the shadows.  
The figure emerged from the shadows, and Bray smiled as he realized it was Salene and Ryan!

"Salene, Ryan!" Bray cried, a short smile crossed over his face. He wanted to talk with them, but Amber was still screaming he could see the pain she was in, and didn't want to leave her side.  
"Is that a baby?" Ryan asked as he and Salene walked towards Amber and Bray.  
Bray nodded, as Amber screamed, pushing harder.  
"Oh no! Is Amber in trouble?" Salene asked as she stared at Amber in shock at the sight of the blood.  
"Salene, you were there with Trudy, can you help me, Ryan, hold the baby for me please." Bray asked as Amber squeezed his hand hard.

Back in the city, Lex and Tai-San entered Ebony's Palace, well the Horton Bailey, only a new name!  
"Hey Ebony!" Lex shouted as he spotted Ebony being pampered by the pool.  
"Lex? What is the meaning of this?" Ebony ordered.  
Tai-San squinted her eyes as looks of fear crossed Ebony's face. "Don't say you didn't hear it."  
"Oh, the plane noise thingy, yeah I've sent some guards into the city to check it out." Ebony answered as she pulled her jacket onto her, she stood up and walked over to Lex and Tai-San.  
"You won't find anything in the city!" Tai-San argued. "What about Luke, and  
Alice?"  
"Alice is safe, and Luke, well the Guardian's dead, so I guess he's split." Ebony grinned.  
"Look if that's all you have to say, then we might as well go ourselves, come on  
Tai-San." Lex took Tai-San's hand and the two of them walked out.  
Ebony tried to shout, but choked on her water, then ran put after them along with  
Moz, who had been standing outside waiting.

In the Mall, May sat with a bored look on her face.  
"What's wrong?" Tally asked.  
"Tally, take my advice, when your older, never fall for men, especially ones like  
Pride!" May said, fiddling with a spoon.  
May was upset as Pride had ran after Trudy and Cloe, leaving her with the kids.  
Andy ran up the stairs, looking terrified, "May, close the grills, they're here, they want us!"  
"Andy? Clam down, whose here?" Tally asked her brother.  
He shook his head, then closed the grills himself, as the others stood frozen at the sight of six strange looking men in silver outfits.

Dee and Ellie sat at the table, as Jack pondered around trying to think.  
"Jack! Sit down, you'll ware a hole in the carpet." Ellie complained as Dee sat there, staring into space.  
"So Moz tried to kill you, so she could become leader, and she is already in another tribe, who are planning to control the city. Like the Chosen?" Jack asked.  
"No! Nothing can compare these guys to anything the Chosen have done, they are much more skilful, fearful, and they will stop at nothing to get there way!" Dee said as she stood up. "They're landing in the country somewhere, I'm going back for my tribe, can you two search around, see what you can find?"  
"Of course, come on Jack." Ellie said as the three of them walked towards the door, shocked at the sight of the new "tribe" Dee was talking about.

It was about four hours later, Amber finally managed to push hard enough, the baby was here, it was a little girl!  
Amber cried in joy as Bray stood up, and took his son from Ryan.  
"Congratulations." Salene said as she hugged Amber.  
"Salene? Ryan? Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Amber asked squinting her eyes, the sun was shining right on her face, and she hadn't even realized they were there!  
"I found Ryan, then after a long talk, he agreed to come back with me!" Salene said smiling at Ryan.  
Who knows, maybe this time Salene had finally realized Ryan was the one for her, and forgotten about Bray.  
"Who's that?" Bray asked, as a young boy hid in the shadows.  
Ryan turned around. "Oh, this is Zeke, I met him in the mines. Come on Zeke, these are our friends, Amber, and Bray."  
"Hey." Zeke came out of the shadows, and Amber looked on in amazement.

In the forest, Ebony and Moz finally caught up with Tai-San and Lex.  
"Hey, Lex! What exactly are you planning on doing?" Ebony asked as she ran to his side, Moz closely following.  
"Look, Ebony, no one asked you to come, go back to your little hole in the city."  
Tai-San said as she walked on faster.  
"Watch it!" Moz replied, pulling shades in Tai-San's direction.  
Moz had never liked Tai-San, she always thought Ebony should have banished her, as she did with Amber and Bray, along with that Pride guy.  
"Quick! Hide!" Lex said, pushing them into a nearby bush, as a strange vehicle drove towards them.  
The four of them remained frozen; spying out towards the on coming vehicle as it neared the corner. Ebony stood up once it had cleared away into the distance.  
"What the hell was that?" She asked, wiping the dirt from her new black leather trousers.  
"I have no idea, come on, the farm is down here." Lex pointed.

Back at the Mall, the tribe found themselves trapped in there home as the crowd of strange looking people, surrounded the grills.  
"Hey, we don't want any trouble, we just wanted to meet the neighbors." One of them said, he looked as if he was in charge.  
"Who are you? What are you doing in our mall?" May asked, as Tally, Andy and KC stood at her side.  
The kid walked around to the main grill, and looked up at May. May frowned at him, as there was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite figure out what.  
"We're new in town, we're staying in the old car-phone warehouse, round the corner, just wanted to say hi."  
"Well, hi, now could you please leave, you're scaring the little ones." May asked, the man nodded his head, and left the mall, followed but the others.  
KC turned around, Tally and Andy had disappeared, "May, where have Tally and Andy gone?"  
May looked around and sighed, they had run away again!

The city looked busy, busier than usual. There were strange vehicles circulating, each of them with the letter "t" in printed on the side of them. There had been a new sector added, sector 0, apparently it was ruled by a new tribe, who had two zones, one with the Mall Rats and another in sector 0. People were calling sector 0 the clone zone, as many were claiming to have seen Zoot, and even replicates of Ebony! One person even said they had spotted many of the Mall Rats who were supposedly killed by the chosen. No one from the city had ever entered sector 0, as it was based around the stadium where all the special events were held, when the adults were around anyway. Since the Chosen were defeated, there were rumors that Zoot was alive, and he is hiding in the Clone Zone, waiting for the right moment. But the right moment for what? Well no one knows, but there are rumors circulating that this new tribe is very hi-tech, skilful, and dangerous!

Back at the Mall, Pride, Trudy and Cloe returned, to find only two Mall Rats left! May and KC sat in the caf, worried looks on there faces.  
"Where's Tally and Andy?" Cloe asked as she found Porky and Cloudy sleeping on a table!  
"It was weird, these guys came into the Mall, a new tribe, they're in this sector, staying in the warehouse. They started speaking to us, then left, Tally and Andy disappeared!" KC said, as he stood up to get some food from the kitchen, followed by Cloe.  
Trudy sat down, cradling Brady in her arms. "Wait a minute, start again, this new tribe came into the mall, said hi, and left?"  
"Exactly, pretty weird isn't it." May said tracing out the picture of a cartoon cat on her cup.  
Pride put his hand on May's shoulder, "I am so sorry I wasn't here, did they touch you?" Pride asked.  
"No, Andy put the grills down just on time, so any luck with Amber and Bray?"  
"Not a sign, wait until Lex and Tai-San get back, they might have had a bit more luck." Trudy replied, as she played with Brady's fingers.  
Everyone jumped as Ellie and Jack ran into the Mall, carrying an injured Dee with them.  
"What's happened here?" May asked as she stood up, Pride ran down the stairs and looked at Dee.  
"Who's this?" Pride asked as he lifted Dee's leg up, she yelped in pain as Pride realized it was broken. "Sorry! It's broken, May, can you take her up to the cafe,  
I'll find some bandages, so Jack, Ellie, what's going on?"  
Jack and Ellie looked at each other, then walked up to the caf, where the story began

Back at the barn, Bray told Salene and Ryan about Ebony.  
"This Ebony sounds like bad news." Zeke said, chewing on a piece of hay. "Oh, sorry, I don't normally chew like this, just nerves!" He laughed.  
"That's okay, look, we can' stay out here, not with the babies, Amber, we have to go back, we can stay in the mall, Ebony would never know." Bray said, trying to convince her that it was the right choice.  
"Bray's right, Amber, the Mall's our home, your home, we you have to go back, before Ebony destroys the city!" Ryan said, he stood up, put his bag over his shoulder, and gave the baby girl back to Bray.  
"Okay, Bray, can you take the twins, I feel really weak." Amber complained as she stood up, hand on her back.  
The five of them left the barn, and headed to the city.  
"Oh, wait, I forgot something," Bray said as he searched his pocket, he held his  
son close, and ran back inside the barn, the other kept walking, then suddenly heard a yell of help.  
"Bray!" Amber screamed.  
"Wait here, Zeke, come with me." Ryan ordered as the pair ran back to the barn.  
Salene took Amber and the baby girl into the trees, where they hid until Ryan and  
Zeke returned. Ryan ran up, holding the baby boy in his arms.  
"Where's Bray?" Salene asked, looking confused and worried.  
"Come on, we have to go, it's not safe out here, run." Ryan ordered.  
Suddenly Amber collapsed, leaving Ryan and Zeke to carry her back to the city, while Salene struggled to hold both the twins.

Back at the farm, Lex and Tai-San were walking away, as Ebony and Moz sat with the weird men, who seemed to be all over the city.  
"So, Technos is it?" Ebony asked, as they sat in a circle in front of the farmhouse.  
"That's right, but we must go, I'll tell our leader we've spoken to you." Rider stood up, shaking Ebony's hand.  
"Don't worry about Dee, I'll make up something." Moz told them.  
"No, you'll stay here," Ebony ordered.  
"What? But my tribe!" Moz argued.  
"Moz, I need you to stay with them, keep an eye on things, I'll meet with you soon, the stadium right?" Ebony asked.  
Rider nodded, and Moz walked away with him. Ebony ran back to the city, a satisfactory look on her face.

It had been a long day, and night was approaching. Everything was different in the city, since the adults had gone, you could see all those shooting stars you never got a chance to see when you were out fishing with your granddad, our pushing your dolly in the park with mommy. But things were changing again, thing were happening at night. Everyone seemed to be restless in there bed at night, and less and less people were sleeping in the streets, no one knew if they had gone to different tribes, or just left the city, others thought they had disappeared, they were kidnapped, but no one knew the actual truth. None of the tribes would wander the streets at night, most if them afraid of what they might see, even the Demon Dogz and Tribe Circus! But ever since the Chosen had broken up, there have been restless nights for everyone. The sounds of cars, vans, lorries, echoing through the city. Of course everyone just thought this was down to people thinking back to the adult days, because of what they had been through, the virus, the chosen, and now this. Why was the stadium filled with people now, strange noises coming from it all day, and even all night. Perhaps it's just kids messing around, but maybe it's more serious, this new tribe everyone is talking about? Well I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later.

The Mall was in darkness, the only light coming from the main entrance down by the grills, and the candles where the mall rats were sleeping in their beds. Lex and  
Tai-San had arrived back, but were acting strange, they were curious to who this new tribe was, and what Ebony and Moz were discussing with them. They didn't bother to ask questions, they decided to wait until morning, where they could talks it through with the others first.  
Porky and Cloudy were lying at the end of Cloe's bed, where Patsy had once slept.  
Cloe couldn't sleep she lay staring at the empty space in her bed, where she and  
Patsy used to sit, where Patsy would lie and moan. Who knows what happened to Patsy, the guardian said she was dead, but then they said Dal and Bray were dead that one time didn't they, so who knows?  
Cloe decided to go and get a drink, she figured if she went for a walk, maybe she'd be able to sleep better later. As she crept out of her bed, and headed to the caf, she jumped as Cloudy crept up behind her. "Hey, what are you doing out of bed?" She asked, she lifted the fluffy white dog in her arms, and took her through to the caf where she opened the cupboard and took out the bottled water.  
No one would notice is she took a tiny sip, I mean it wouldn't do any harm. She sat down, thinking about the old days, Patsy, Paul, Salene, Bob. The suddenly she heard footsteps creeping up the stairs of the mall, it sounded like more than one person. Cloe stood up, and hid behind the cupboard, her finger over her mouth telling Cloudy to be quiet, but the dog started to whimper, then began barking.  
Screams of babies began, but Cloe knew this wasn't Brady. Someone came up behind  
Cloe, and she screamed, waking up the others.  
"Cloe! It's okay, it's Salene!" Cloe spun around and her face lit up as Salene stood behind her, smiling happily.  
"Salene! I was just thinking about you, I knew you'd come back! Ryan?" Cloe asked, hugging Salene as the other Mall Rats walked from their bedrooms, to see the others in the kitchen.  
"Who said there was a reunion going on?" Lex said, as he hugged Ryan, that macho hug all men gave.  
May and Pride followed behind, and Pride looked on in amazement as Amber sat cradling her babies close. "Amber? What's wrong? Where's Bray?"  
"Pride, Bray's gone, he was taken by these weirdo's in silver suits." Salene told him, as tears poured down Amber's cheek.  
"Oh no, I think we have a case of deja-vu coming!" May rolled her eyes, as she realized this new tribe was bad news, and by the sound of thing, worse than the Chosen!  
The Mall Rats were up all night, discussing what to do. Amber had fell asleep, while Trudy and May looked after the twins.  
KC looked over at Cloe, he could see she was upset, so took her some breakfast.  
"Here you go."  
"I'm not hungry." She replied, trying to keep a brave face. "Thanks though."  
"Before we get started on the plans, everyone this is Zeke, I met him while I was in the mines. He's a loner, his sister was killed by the Chosen, and well, I was wondering if he could stay here, I mean, as one of us." Ryan asked, smiling at  
Zeke. Zeke was about Jack's age, with curtained brown hair, he had a black marking on his right cheek, a letter z with a strike down the middle, with an eagle outline on his forehead.  
"I don't have a problem with that." Jack said, he walked up to Zeke, and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."  
"Likewise." Zeke replied smiling.  
The Mall Rats took a vote, and everyone agreed for Zeke to become a mall rat. Then they all took turns in telling him their names.  
"Okay, I hate to rush things, but we have our own problem just now, Amber and  
Bray." Tai-San said to the others.  
"Well I've made up my mind, Bray's dead, Amber's got twins, we can't throw her out, look, why don't we talk to Ebony, I mean once she discovers Bray's gone, she might change her mind." Ellie said to them.  
"By the way, does anyone know where Alice is, or Luke?" KC added.  
After a long discussion, the Mall Rats decided to send out two parties, one to Ebony's Palace, to fund out about Alice and Luke, and another to the Clone Zone, and see what was going on there.  
May and Trudy were staying in the Mall with Amber, to look after the twins and  
Brady. Salene, Pride and Lex were going to see Ebony. Ellie and Jack were going with Dee to see Moz. While Tai-San, Cloe, KC, Ryan and Zeke were going to the  
Clone Zone, the others were staying here.  
KC was kind of excited, as he and Cloe were always made to stay in the Mall whenever something like this was happening; he realized they were no longer kids, and that it was up to him to look out for himself, and the others.

The Clone Zone was full of people! When Tai-San and the others arrived, they thought there was some kind off celebration going on. The five of them hid when they spotted a strange looking vehicle approaching. It stopped at the stadium entrance, and showed someone a piece of paper, then they were able to go through.  
"Look!" Cloe pointed at two females heading towards them. "What's she doing here?"  
"I don't know, come on, we came to see the stadium, not to ask questions." Tai-San told them.  
They finally managed to find a way into the stadium, Cloe went in first, followed by Zeke and Tai-San, KC and Ryan waited outside, to keep watch. Cloe jerked back as she spotted three men walking past.  
"That was close!" Zeke said, as he hopped over the gate, in front of Tai-San.  
Cloe peered over the ledge where they were standing, and looked down in shock.  
There was a crowd of Technos, and among them, fellow Mall Rats!

Back at the Mall, Amber had woken up, and tried to run from the Mall.  
"Amber! Wait!" Trudy grabbed her arm, and took her back up the stairs. "Hey, you're babies are here, look." Trudy smiled, followed by Amber.  
The two of them sat at a table, where May had put three baby chairs that she found in one of the shops. Brady was sitting in one, sleeping.  
"Amber, about Bray." Trudy tried to tell her.  
"No, Trudy, I know, but it's okay, you know, he'll be back soon." Amber told her, trying not to cry. "Hey there little guy, it's your mum, yes, that's right, and that's your sister, Ella." Amber said as she rubbed the head of hr baby son.  
"Ella?" May asked curiously.  
Amber nodded her head, "Ella was my Grandmothers name, and this is little William." She decided.  
Trudy and May looked at each other, May biting her lip.  
"Shouldn't Bray choose a name?" May asked.  
Amber frowned, "Bray wanted William for a boy, okay!"  
May nodded her head, as Amber sat her two newborns in a chair each.  
"You know, they'll be thirsty, and I know I didn't manage to, but I think maybe you should" Trudy interrupted, trying to change the subject, but Amber didn't let her finish her sentence.  
"I'm not stupid! So if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone while I try what I was gonna try anyway!" Amber snapped back at her.  
"Well if you need us." May told her, as Trudy lifted Bray from her chair, and the two of them walked into the Furniture Store.

At the other end of the city, Lex and the others had reached Ebony's palace. Three  
guards approached, blocking there way in.  
"Look, we're here to see Ebony. Move!" Lex demanded, trying to keep his cool.  
"Sorry, Ebony isn't expecting anyone just now, come back later!" One of the guards ordered.  
"I'm not in the mood, move!" Lex yelled.  
"Hey! It's okay, let them in." Ebony ordered her men, as she walked from the main door.  
"Pride, Lex, oh, Salene, what a pleasant surprise!" Ebony greeted them, as they four of them walked up, round the building to the old pool.  
"Yeah, Ebony, we haven't came here for a quiet chit chat, it's about Amber."  
Salene smiled sarcastically.  
"Salene, in case you didn't know, Amber has gone, along with Bray, so if that's all you came to say, then goodbye." Ebony replied.  
"Ebony, Amber's in the Mall, Bray's dead." Pride told her, speaking quickly so that Ebony couldn't but in.  
Ebony's mouth dropped open in astonishment, she couldn't believe it. "What happened?"  
"This new tribe, The Technos, they killed him, Amber's at the mall, with her babies." Pride told her.  
"What!" Ebony yelled.  
"Ebony, she just lost the man she loved, and she has twins to look after, oh come on, you really don't think she's that much of a threat now do you!" Salene said to her.  
"Okay, okay, look, Amber can stay in the city, in the Mall, but one step out of line, and I mean one step, she's gone, and I mean gone!" Ebony told them, an evil look on her face.

Meanwhile, Cloe had snuck round the other side of the stadium, where she okayed Tai-San and Zeke to sneak down to ground level. The pair climbed down the narrow stairs to the ground, where they told Cloe to stay up there, in case of any trouble, Cloe nodded her head, and the pair hid behind an old burnt out car.  
Tai-San's eyes lit up in amazement when she saw a familiar face beside them.  
"What is it? Do you know her?" Zeke asked as she stared at the young woman, who had long thick dark brown hair, almost black, with a red feather in it.  
"Danni." Tai-San whispered.  
"Huh?" Zeke said confused.  
Tai-San threw a rock at he woman's feet, the woman spun around, and her eyes opened wide. She snuck towards Tai-San and Zeke; Cloe, who was watching from above, gasped in shock when she saw whom it was.  
The woman crept to Tai-San's side. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Tai-San was right, it was Danni!  
The two of them began talking, the Danni gasped as a shadow stood over her.  
"Danni, what are you doing?"  
"Nothing Piper, just fixing my boot." Danni replied, trying not to look at Tai-San and Zeke, who were hiding beneath a sheet of plastic.  
"Rider! Guards!" Piper shouted, as she spotted Tai-San and Zeke behind the car.  
Cloe screamed, "no!"

Dee, Jack and Ellie had reached the Mozzies' base, where Dee made her presence known.  
"Dee!" One of them cried, as Dee walked into the middle of the room. "Hey everyone, Dee's back!"  
Dee, Jack and Ellie sat down with the Mozzies, as Dee realized what Moz had been up to.  
"Well I'm back now, so there'll be a few changes around here." Dee smiled as the faces of her fellow tribe members did too.  
"Okay, well we better be going, I'll come and see you sometime okay?" Ellie told Dee, as she hugged her, followed by Jack.  
Dee nodded, as the pair walked out of the building.

Ryan and KC stood outside the stadium and began to worry as huge cheers were made.  
Cloe panicked, as she saw Tai-San and Zeke being forced onto a stage, along with  
Danni.  
Rider stood in front of them, as Technos stood in clusters on the ground, as  
Piper approached, with who looked like a sister.  
"Danni is not one of us, she is leader of the Mall Rats. And as you all know, she is only here as prisoner, because if we were to let her go free, she would only go and tell her tribe! Today she makes communication with these two people, who are too, Mall Rats. But what are they doing here? Spying! Why was Danni talking to them? Giving them information! Our leader, he says that what better way to deal with them is death, but I said to him, that's no good, because there is a young girl up there spying!" Rider pointed up towards Cloe, as she jumped in fright. Terrified, she climbed over the stadium walls, and ran back to the Mall, Ryan followed, as KC hid and waited until the Technos had passed.  
"Rider! Jay wants them taken straight to him!" Piper told him.  
"Piper, Crystal, I want you two to take them to Jay, the rest of you, you know what to do!"  
Piper and Crystal grabbed Tai-San and Zeke, pushing Danni in front.

Ebony escorted Lex, Pride and Salene back to the Mall, where she confronted  
Amber.  
"So, twins is it?" Ebony asked, looking at the two babies as they slept quietly in Amber's bed. "I'll get you a cot if you want, for the babies."  
"How thoughtful." Amber replied sarcastically.

The Mall Rats sat in the caf, an awkward silence in the room. Then suddenly Cloe fled up the stairs, breathing heavily. She got to the top, and collapsed to her knees. Ryan ran behind her.  
"What's going on?" Amber demanded.  
"Tai-San, Zeke!" Cloe tried to speak, but she was still struggling for breath.  
"Technos, they got them, I ran, and the other Mall Rats, they were there!" Cloe struggled to tell the others what had happened.  
"Where's Tai-San?" Lex demanded, he stood Cloe up and shook her.  
Cloe shook her head; you could see she was terrified. "I don't know, the stadium, they're at the stadium!"  
"Ryan!" Salene ran down and hugged him tight. "Are you okay, what happened?"  
"Salene, I'm fine, honestly, I'm okay." He told her, trying to concentrate.  
"Great, we get rid of the Chosen, then some other bunch of weirdo's come along!"  
Amber sighed.  
"No, no, this is worse, I mean you heard Dee, and now this!" May said, as she cradled Ella in her arms.  
The other Mall Rats looked at each other, confused.  
"May's right, Ebony, you have to do something!" Ellie told her. "Look, I don't wanna change the subject, but what about Alice?"  
"Ellie! Look, I'm sorry about your sister, but right now, we have much more important things to worry about!" Amber snapped back.  
Ellie stared at her, then stormed off, closely followed by Trudy.  
"Ellie, Ellie wait. Look Amber didn't mean it, she's just upset about Bray." Trudy explained as Ellie lay on her bed, facing away from Trudy.  
"Yes, and don't you think I'm hurting over Alice! It's no different!" Ellie yelled back.  
Trudy nodded her head, she put her hand on Ellie's shoulder, then Ellie turned back.  
"I miss her Trudy, I mean I don't even know where she is, she could be dead!" Ellie wept into her pillow.  
"I'm sure she isn't, Ebony wouldn't do that, she and Alice were pretty close at one time remember, she wouldn't," Trudy convinced herself.  
Well she wouldn't would she, not even Ebony could be that cold hearted?

Back at the Stadium, Piper and Lacey sat as Jay entered the room. Tai-San and Zeke stood at the door, while Danni was forced forward.  
"Okay, Danni, we gave you a chance, we told you that you could work as our slave, and we would spare you, and you go and betray us like this!" Jay shouted.  
"No! It wasn't like that, I swear! Please!" Danni begged.  
"Stand straight you pathetic Mall Rat, I can't stand beggars!" Jay yelled at her.  
Danni straightened up, as Jay walked round, and had a good look at Zeke, and then  
Tai-San.  
"Supreme mother?" He said o Tai-San.  
Tai-San stood, giving him an evil look. "Danni has nothing to do with this, let her go!"  
Jay laughed, followed by Piper and Crystal. He took out a long blunt pole from his belt, and raised it to Danni, then suddenly KC burst into the room.  
"No!" He yelled, distracting Jay from the others. "Run! Run!" He yelled at the others, Tai-San grabbed Danni's arm, and they ran out with Zeke behind them.  
Jay tried to grab KC, but he was to slow, and KC slammed the door behind him, the four of them managed to sneak out the main doors, as three Technos were entering, they found themselves being chased by five guards, so they ran for the park. They didn't want to lead them back to the Mall.

About half an hour had passed, and still no sign of the others. Ebony thought that they should go to the Clone Zone themselves and have a look. The others disagreed, and they all decided to wait a further half-hour, and see what had happened by then.  
Danni, Tai-San, KC and Zeke were all hiding in the subway, as crowds of guards went fleeing past every five minutes, probably still looking for them. Danni wasn't speaking a lot, but she didn't know a lot, so there wasn't much to say. By the looks of things, this tribe was pretty advanced, and had a lot of members!  
As the fifth herd of Technos, paraded by, the four got up, and snuck quickly back to the Mall, no one else in sight. Danni was nervous, how would the others react to see her back, how would she react to see Bray react? Well, there was only one way to find out

"Amber, Trudy, everyone!" KC cried as he returned to the Mall. The rest of the  
Mall Rats who had been re-decorating the mall to pass time. They all walked quickly over to the balcony, where they al smiled in joy to see the others back safe again.  
But there smiled turned to confusion as Danni walked into the mall, staring around, she was speechless as she stepped past the grills, and admired her home, which she hadn't seen in six months!  
"Danni!" Trudy cried, she ran down the stairs and hugged her. "Welcome back, where were you? What happened? I mean" Trudy stuttered. "Never mind, time for questions later!"  
"Danni?" Amber asked, gulping, she wondered, is this the Danni Bray was with?  
"Oh, no." May muttered to herself.  
"Where's Bray?" Danni asked, sitting herself on the wall of the fountain, which had a statue of a phoenix sitting on it.  
"Hello, what's going on here?" Amber demanded, as she became frustrated, she had no idea who Danni was!  
"Amber, this is Danni, Danni, this is Amber, the one that Bray..." Jack tried to explain.  
"I know who she is! I am not stupid!" Danni snapped back. "Well, Bray, where is he?"  
Ebony sighed; she felt a feeling of failure inside, as Danni and Amber, the two people she hated most in the world, had finally met, and how would she stay in power with those two?

After a long talk, Danni told the others her story, and the rest of the Mall Rats left Danni and Amber to talk, about things, Bray, the twins, their relationship.  
"Amber, I don't know you, but I know that Bray has always loved you, even since he's been with me, and the babies, I know, they're his to right?" Danni asked  
Amber, trying to keep a strong face.  
"The babies, twins, yes, they are Bray's, when you were gone, Bray found me, and things got complicated. Danni, Bray loved you, he told me a million times, but I guess first love, well it's a strong bond, I don't hate you, I don't even know you, and I think if we tried, we could be really good friends." Amber explained to her, smiling.  
Danni nodded, a tear trickled down her cheek, "I'd like that, and Bray, what happened, is he really dead?"  
"I don't know, I was really dizzy, I wasn't really focusing, but Ryan and Zeke went back when he heard the scream, fought, saved little William, and that's all we know." Amber told her, trying not to cry.  
Danni smiled at Amber, in a sympathetic way, and the two of them hugged.  
"Friends?" Amber said to her, smiling.  
Danni nodded, as Ebony spied on them from the electric shop, shaking her head in disappointment.  
"Hey, um, Ebony, can I help you?" Jack asked, creeping round the corner in suspicion.  
"No, I was just looking for Ellie, um, have you seen her?" Ebony lied, trying to think up a quick excuse.  
"Sorry, what did you want her for?" Jack asked, trying to be of help.  
Ebony shook her head, and walked back to meet the other Mall Rats.  
"Okay, Tally and Andy, what's happening with them?" Ebony asked as she dragged out one of the silver chairs, and sat next to May.  
"I don't want to be cruel, but they weren't exactly part of the tribe, and aren't  
Bray and Patsy more important?" Lex said to her.  
"Patsy?" Ebony frowned.  
"Well Cloe seems to think she saw Patsy, along with other Mall Rats in the stadium, and she said there were two girls there too, who looked extremely like you." Tai-San told her.  
Ebony's face lit up, but not in a sign of gladness, but of shock. "Well, that's impossible, she's probably seeing thing, I'll look straight into the Patsy thing, ok?" Ebony told them, rising from the chair.  
"Look Ebony, don't make excuses, I saw them too, both of them, spitting images of you!" Tai-San argued.  
"Sorry, gotta go see about the Stadium, and Patsy, bye." Ebony ran off, suspiciously.

Meanwhile, in the Stadium, strange things began happening.  
Rider and Jay walked side by side with Crystal and Piper behind them, the four of them discussing the Mall Rats, Mozzies and Gulls.  
"Look, the Gulls, they're the smallest, UI think we should go for them first, but their leader, Jet, she's strong, I can't see her co-operating, so we get the rest of them, she'll go running to the Mall Rats or Mozzies probably." Piper told the others.  
The Technos used Piper to spy on other tribes, report back every so often, but now with the end of the Chosen, it was too risky to leave the stadium, so they had to operate with what they already had.  
"No, forget the Mozzies, I mean we have Moz now, and Dee won't do anything, she's weak, a goody two shoes, forget them. But Piper, the Gulls, I agree on that, they're a small tribe, okay, Rider, I want you and ten of your group to go out first thing tomorrow morning, raid the Gulls headquarters, leave the Rats to me."  
Jay told him, nodding his head, as Rider and Crystal walked off.  
"I'm worried, I mean The Mall Rats are a big tribe, and they seem to have the whole city in their control, Ebony is one of them you know, I can'' see her giving in." Piper said to Jay, as the two of them sat in a burnt out car.  
"Yes, but Ebony is not who I am worrying about, we've dealt with Bray, but what about Amber, and that new guy, Pride, they seem strong, and then Danni has escaped, they're stronger than ever now. When the city discover what resources we have, they'll side with us, and when we're in control, there'll be no need for all this chaos, anarchy, we can put it all behind s, live in peace. After all, the boss doesn't want us falling the same way the Chosen did." Jay explained, Piper nodded her head, thinking about what he just said. She agreed, that's what she admired most about Jay; he was so headstrong, wise, powerful.  
Piper smiled, and lifted Jay's microphone from his head, then swept his hair from his face. Jay wrapped his arm around Piper, and she lay down on the rotted back seat, he lay above her, pulled an old blanket on top, and the two of them kissed passionately, attracting attention from the other Technos!

Ebony had snuck from the sight of the Mall Rats, and was heading for the stadium. She seemed puzzled, who were the two girls Tai-San spoke about, I mean Ebony has no relations in the city, or has she?  
"Ebony, I wondered when we'd see you," Rider welcomed Ebony as she reached the entrance to the Stadium.  
"Rider, look, the Mall Rats, they're getting suspicious, one of them who escaped saw a young girl here, Patsy." Ebony said, speaking as if she knew Rider.  
"Well then you had better bring that Mall Rat to us!" Rider ordered, furiously.  
Ebony shook her head and laughed, "Rider, you want this plan to work don't you? So you give me Patsy, and I'll take care of the Mall Rats." Ebony told him.  
Rider nodded, in agreement to Ebony.  
"Oh, and another thing, you haven't seen Piper recently, or that girl Crystal?"  
Ebony enquired.  
"They left Ebony, you just missed them, they've gone to Hope Island, that's where the Chosen are held out." Rider told her, excusing himself from her presence.  
Ebony didn't believe Rider; she followed him into the Stadium, and hid in an old cart filled with blankets.

Back in the Mall, Cloe lay in her bed, crying.  
"Hey, what's up Cloe?" Trudy asked as she walked in to her room, holding Brady in her arms.  
Cloe sniffed, and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Patsy, they've got her, she's alive, why won't you believe me, any of you!"  
"Hey, hey, calm down, I believe you, and so do the others, they're just worried that's all, The Technos, they don't sound very friendly." Trudy explained, trying not to upset Cloe any more.  
"Can I come in?" Salene asked, as she peeked her head a round the corner, with Ryan and Zeke.  
"Off course, just like old times, huh Cloe?" Trudy told them, trying to put a smile on Cloe's face.  
What Trudy had said put a slight smile on Cloe's face, then she shook her head.  
"Oh come on Cloe, look, Porky and Cloudy, and" Ryan put his hand into a small box he had brought with him.  
"A rabbit!" Cloe cried, she smiled, and took the rabbit from Ryan. It was a small fluffy thing, with a pure white coat. "Ryan, thanks so much!"  
Cloe sat up, and hugged Ryan, then Salene looked at him, smiled gently and put her hand on his leg as if to say, I love you, what a great idea.  
"Yeah, sorry Trudy, you're right, I guess it is a little like old times, only  
Patsy and Paul are gone, and Bob." Cloe sighed, but tried to put everything behind her, and vowed to herself, to make a fresh start, as the new, mature Cloe.  
Amber sat on the bed where she used to make love to Bray. She watched her babies crawling on the floor, smiling at the sight of them trying not to fall flat on their chests! Ella was probably the funniest; she couldn't stay up for more than two seconds! She had spiky blonde hair, and sparkling hazel eyes. She had a little mole on her right cheek, and was a very chubby baby! Amber realized that must have been what Bray was like when he was a baby, as she wasn't that fat, and had black hair when she was born.  
But William, whom Amber had shortened to Will, had a skinnier look, but still with a little puppy fat. His eyes fairly rounded, a bluish color, with a streak of green through each. He had longer hair, a deeper blonde, almost light brown. Amber began to cry, quietly though, so the others wouldn't hear her. She thought back, to when she first saw Bray in the sewers, then when they were voting, and she said they couldn't stay. She closed her eyes, and remembered when she saw Ebony with Bray at the hotel, putting cream on him, then at Eagle Mountain where they kissed and made up. She opened her eyes, and cried more, her face went red. She jumped as Will began to cry, she wanted to go to sleep, never wake up, she couldn't face brining her twins up on her own, but seeing his innocent little face, she lifted herself up, reached out to him, and lay him on her bed next to him, doing the same to Ella, the three of them drifting off to sleep.

Ebony had fell asleep in the cart, and was shocked when she woke up and found herself at the caves, where she spotted Rider and Jay talking to someone, who she couldn't quite see. She jumped out of the cart, and tiptoed around to the caves, where she gasped in horror when she saw whom they were talking to. A blue coat, blonde dreads goggles!  
"Zoot!" Ebony yelled, tripping backwards onto a rock, which knocked her unconscious.  
About two hours had past, and a drowsy Ebony woke up to find herself chained onto the beach, the tide coming in. She screamed, but no one came, then finally Rider, Jay and Zoot approached her, laughing, smug looks on their faces.  
"Zoot, you're alive! But Lex, he threw" Ebony tried to ask, but Zoot interrupted her.  
"No! He thought he did, and my stupid brother couldn't find my pulse, he didn't even look right! They wrapped me in a sack, and pushed me out to sea, I jumped out before the flames got to me. So now I'm back." Zoot told her, a smug look on his face.  
"Why?" Ebony asked confused.  
"Why! Why! Because I was sick of you, I didn't want Brady, I wanted power, chaos, so I met these guys, we began the Technos, and after a long time planning, we came for the attack!" Zoot yelled at her.  
Nothing ever scared Ebony, but this did. She was shaking in fear, a tear trickling down her cheek.  
"Can you let me out of these please?" Ebony asked, trying to be polite, the tide was getting closer, and once it reached her, she was history!  
Zoot crouched next to her, and pressed his lips against hers, kissing. He shook his head, and whispered in her ear, "fear, death, chaos!"  
The three of them headed to the caves, where they watched the tide get closer,  
Ebony screaming.

Meanwhile, the Mall Rats were preparing for a long night's sleep. It had been a very busy day, they just found out there are more crazies in town, Patsy and Danni are alive, Bray's disappeared, and now Zoot's back!  
Okay, Danni and Patsy: The Guardian lied about killing Patsy, and sent her to the mines. Danni was held prisoner in a building along with the other leaders, Jet, Top Hat, Billy Boy, Dee, Moz etc.  
The Technos: They appeared from nowhere, well the sky really, but arrived unexpectedly. They have a new home, the Stadium. There are two Ebony look-a-likes, which Ebony seems to know, named Piper and Crystal. Rider and Jay seem to control things in the stadium, and there seem to be past Mall Rats being held prisoner, Patsy, and maybe some others.  
Zoot: Everyone thought he was killed by Lex. But it turns out he was still alive; Bray just didn't search for a pulse properly. Zoot had heard of the Technos, so played long with his death, then fled from the burning boat. Now he is leading the Technos, planning to take control of the city, and wants Ebony dead!  
Bray and the twins: Amber had the babies in the barn, two months early, but they seem okay for the moment. Bray returned to the barn to fetch something, he screamed, Ryan ran back, saved baby Will, ran from the barn, and Bray had disappeared.  
The Chosen: The Guardian escaped again, fooling the others to believe he is dead.  
He has fled to Hope Island along with loyal companion Luke. The Chosen still seem to be around, but there are only a few of them left.  
Farm girl Alice: Ebony say's she's left the city to come to grips with Ned's death. But where has Alice really gone? She wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to Ellie. And she can't be dead, can she?

Zoot, Rider and Jay continued to laugh at the helpless Ebony, as she found her legs had been drowned by the salty water, as the tide splashed against her, spitting onto her face. But suddenly Piper and Crystal came running to the rescue, they had been spying from the cliffs, and realized what was happening.  
"Piper! Latisha!" Ebony cried as she looked puzzled at the two women as the carried her from the beach to the caves.  
"Piper! I command you, put her back now!" Jay ordered as Zoot had a furious look on his face.  
"What the hell do you two think you are doing!" Zoot demanded.  
"She's our god damn sister, did you really think we'd let you kill her!" Piper argued back, as Ebony lay on a rock, coughing up the salted water.  
"Look, Zoot, I can help you, I want to help you, be with you, your tribe, please!"  
Ebony asked, still coughing continuously.  
"Power and Chaos right?" Rider laughed.  
"Why not, look, I am sorry for whatever I am supposed to have done, but I could help you, I'm a Mall Rat remember, I can get you Amber, and Danni. But, I need one favor." Ebony told them.  
"She's got a point, okay then, what do you want in return?" Zoot asked her.  
"The Mall Rats that you have prisoner. Once I have them, you get Amber, Danni, and  
if you want, Brady." Ebony smiled.  
"No, not the baby, I can't stand them, maybe later, but all I want for now, is  
Amber and Danni, and the other two, that weird chick, and Lex." Zoot agreed.  
"Okay, well what are we waiting for, to the stadium!" Ebony smiled, as the six of them headed back tot he city.

Night had fallen over the city, everything was in complete darkness. There wasn't a single sound in the city, well except from the odd casino, and all of the stray cats, dogs and so on. But there was a strange noise inside the Mall, nothing that anyone had ever heard before. It was coming from the old market. KC had got out of bed to investigate, followed by Cloe and Ellie. The three of them quietly rummaged through the stalls, to see where the noise was coming from. Ellie jumped as she lay her hand on a long round cylinder like shape. KC reached his hand in and lifted it out, The three of them gasped in shock, it was an old radio, and someone was trying to contact them!  
The next morning, Ellie woke Jack early, and told him what they found. The four of them went to the electric shop, where Jack tried to program the radio to get a clearer sound.  
Cloe put her ear to the speaker and jumped back as the sound bombed up full blast!  
"Jack turn it down!" Ellie told him.  
"Sorry!" Jack apologized, turning it down a little. He nodded with a mile as he finally managed to get a clear signal.  
"Our city has been destroyed, nothing is left, you have to help us, please, if anyone gets this, please help us!" A young, female voice on the radio begged, in a tone of sadness.

After their shocking discovery on the radio, the four of them decided to keep it a secret for the moment. Ebony had came to the mall early this morning, along with a certain someone  
Cloe and KC were sitting in the Cafe alone, laughing about old times, with the two of them, and Patsy.  
"Those times were goo weren't they." A familiar voice said from behind Ebony who had just came up the stairs.  
Cloe stood up, and walked around Ebony, then dropped top the floor when she saw who it was. KC smiled when he realized that Patsy was back!  
"Cloe! Oh no!" Patsy cried, Cloe had fainted as she was overjoyed to see Patsy was alive, and back in the Mall.  
Ebony lay Patsy on Cloe's bed, and dabbed water on her forehead, Cloe quickly came round, and the first thing she done was hug Patsy.  
"You're alive! I don't believe it, I thought I was never going to see you again!"  
Cloe cried happily.  
"Well you didn't think they'd get rid of me that easily!" Patsy laughed. "Luke managed to get me into the mines, then when I heard the Chosen were finished, I thought great, I'd be free, but everyone that was working in the mine I was in got traded over by The Chosen for food. I was with the Technos for about a month, then Ebony saved me."  
"Ebony? How did you manage that?" Cloe asked surprised.  
"Long story, look I'm gonna go back to my place, tell the others if the want me,  
I'll be there."  
Patsy nodded. "So, you two seem friendlier since the last time, what's been happening while I was gone?" Patsy asked them, as the three of them sat round one of the small tables in the caf.  
"KC's better at telling you the story, I spent most of my time in the mines too!"  
Cloe sighed.  
"Well, the Chosen, they're gone, you know that. Amber, Bray and Lex defeated them, and Ebony too. These new guys, Ned, Tally and Andy stayed with us, then the  
Guardian escaped the cage, killed Ned, and Tally and Andy ran away. Now Amber's back, and this guy Pride, from her other tribe, he's a Mall Rat too. Danni's back.  
Amber's got babies. Bray's been kidnapped by the Technos. Oh, and we're probably gonna have a ceremony to celebrate all Mall Rats, that was supposed to happen before, but Amber and Trudy were kidnapped by that Ned guy. Ebony save them." KC told her, breathing a long sigh as he finished his story.  
"Gee's Ebony's turned into quite a hero! And she's leading the city now right?"  
Patsy wondered.  
"Yeah, so what about you, what happened to you in the mines?" Cloe asked.  
The three of them had a lot of catching up to do, and it took them all morning!

By the time all the Mall Rats had had their breakfast, they decided to have their celebration thing, like a re-birth of the Mall Rats, and they would vote leaders, giving positions out to the other tribe members. Bit if they were to do this, they had to find food, after the Chosen's reign, the Mall Rats were one of the cities poorest tribe. Lex and Pride had volunteered to collect some along with Zeke and KC to help. Ryan was staying to look after the others.  
"Ryan! Look, we'll be okay, Jack, you too! Food is more important than protecting us, please, just go!" Ellie insisted.  
"But, what if" Ryan tried to argue.  
"Ryan! Just go, you two Jack, we'll see you when you get back, oh, and try to see if you can find Tally and Andy while your out there, we can't just ignore them."  
Trudy insisted.  
"Come on then." Lex told them, putting his bag over his shoulder, and the six of them headed out.  
"I don't wanna argue, but does it really take six of them to collect food!" Cloe questioned, trying to sound innocent.  
"Well, I thought that while they were gone, as a surprise, we could do up the  
Mall, put it back to it's original self, how it was in the beginning. Come on, it'd be perfect for the party, I mean, if we're being re-born, why shouldn't the  
Mall?" Amber smiled at them, thinking positive.  
The others weren't to sure, but then they all agreed eventually.  
"Ebony, shouldn't she be here for it? I mean she is still a Mall Rat after all."  
May added.  
"I agree with May, she may be a little evil at times, but I think she has good intentions at heart, I'll go and tell her, okay?" Tai-San told them.  
Amber rolled her eyes; Tai-San's preaching of do-gooding really got on her nerves sometimes.  
"Okay, but be quick, we need all the help we can get!" Amber nodded.

Sector six seemed deserted, it was normally buzzing with Gulls, but there was no sign of anyone, not even Jet! Suddenly a cry came from a dustbin, attracting the attention of Zeke and Pride.  
"Hey guys, over here!" Zeke shouted at the others.  
They prowled carefully over to the bin, trying not to disturb what was in it.  
Lex quickly opened the lid, and they jumped back. A head popped out, blonde hair flying n the way of his or her face, bruises over the arms, and a scratch on their right cheek. The person swept their hair back, it was Jet  
Lex and Jack helped her out, and sat her on the doorway to an old sports shop.  
"Jet? What happened? Are you okay?" Lex asked her, trying to be gentle, he could see how much pain she was in, it looked liked she had taken a bad beating.  
"It was a man, about eighteen, blonde hair, spiky, he came with twelve others, attacked my tribe, took them hostage, they surrendered, I wouldn't, I wasn't giving up my home, my tribe but they gave me up, so the man, he hit me, he threw me in that, thought I was dead, I did too, I couldn't move, everything was numb, Lex, you have to help me! Jet cried, sounds of beg in her voice.  
"Of course, Lex, I think I should go back, take her to the Mall, clean her up, there's no point on all of us going back, I'll go alone." Pride offered, picking  
Jet up, and wrapping his arm round her.  
"Okay. Take KC with you, I don't think this is safe." Lex told Pride.  
"But!" KC tried to argue.  
"No KC, Lex is right, go!" Ryan yelled at him.  
KC put his head to the ground, and walked ahead, Pride dragging Jet with him.

Back at the Mall the Mall Rats had already made a start on the decorating, Cloe,  
Ellie and Patsy were working on the Furniture Store, where they stripped down all the decoration, and removed any trace of the Chosen.  
"This Mall must have been pretty dull when you guys first arrived." Ellie told them as she ripped down a poster of Zoot, which had been hiding behind a mirror.  
Patsy nodded. "Yeah, I guess it was, but it felt more like home, just us, you know, before Eagle Mountain and everything."  
"Yeah, everything's changed, new tribe, new people, new places." Cloe added.  
"Sorry Ellie! I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that Paul, my little brother, he disappeared, Sasha left, Zandra died, and Dal, now Alice has gone."  
Patsy said softly, an upsetting tone in her heart.  
"I didn't know you had a brother, well I'm sorry, and it's okay, I mean I know it must have felt different when Alice and I arrived, and Danni, then May, Pride,  
Zeke, even Ebony!" Ellie laughed, trying not to sound to dull.  
"I guess so, but I like it now, I mean all the new guys arriving are great, and when we found out Amber was back, that was even better!" Cloe smiled. "And you never know, Paul and Sasha could come back one day, maybe even tomorrow! We just don't know. The city isn't that big, I'm sure Paul's still here, he'll come back one day."  
"I hope so." Patsy sighed.  
"Hey, got much more to do?" Danni asked as she came in with a pail in her hand, which was full of dirty water.  
"Not much, what have you been doing!" Ellie frowned, staring sickly at the pail.  
"Washing of the paint from the windows, Amber wants everyone in the Caf in ten minutes, she's having a vote on whether or not to get rid of the paintings on the walls that were done before you arrived."  
"Okay, we'll be there, wanna help?" Cloe asked.  
"Sorry, still one window to do!" Danni laughed, and headed along to Jack's electric shop

Tai-San sat in Ebony's palace, where she had been waiting for half an hour. She was about to leave, when Ebony rushed through the door.  
"Ebony! At last, what took you so long?" Tai-San demanded.  
"Sorry, there's been some trouble in sector six, it's sorted now, so, what did you want?" Ebony told her, gasping for breath as she sat on her red velvet chair.  
"We need to know if you're still one of us? A Mall Rat I mean." Tai-San enquired.  
"We?" Ebony relied.  
"The Mall Rats, are you one of us?" Tai-San asked her.  
"Well, I guess I am, why?" Ebony asked.  
"Look, we're having a celebration, a re-birth of the Mall Rats, and the Mall itself, and if you're still one of us, you have to come along too, okay?" Tai-San asked curiously.  
"Okay, I'll come with you know if you want." Ebony replied nodding her head. She stood up, and peeped her head out of the window. "Hey! Is Moz back yet?" She yelled down at some guards, who both shook their heads." Okay, look I'm going away for a while, make sure no-one enters without my say so, you guys are in charge so no trouble!" She ordered, closing the window as they nodded.  
"Lost Moz have you?" Tai-San smirked.  
"No, just haven't seen her today." Ebony replied a smug look on her face.  
The two of them left the hotel, and headed down the streets to the Mall.  
"So, I'm curious Ebony, what have you been up to lately? I heard you saved Patsy from the Technos, that must have been hard." Tai-San asked suspiciously.  
"Look, I hope you're not forgetting who I am, shut up, or I'll have my people on you!" Ebony snapped back.  
She seemed frustrated; she didn't have the slightest clue where Moz had disappeared to, she had sent her away with the Technos, but she should have been back by now.

The Mall Rats had finished their stripping of the Mall, and Amber had requested a meeting in the Caf, where they were all present.  
"Okay, before we arrived in this mall, there was already markings, from the Demon  
Dogz and Loco's, so what I want to decide here and now, is whether or not these markings remain in our mall or not. So I want everyone to decide, one vote each, yes or no. So all those in favor of keeping" Amber asked, interrupted by  
Salene.  
"Sorry, don't mean to hold everyone back, but I agree with the removing of the markings, after all this is our Mall, but I think the huge Demon Dogz sign at the bottom of the stairs should stay, I think it looks kinda, I dunno, cool!" Salene interrupted.  
There was a chorus of voices, most of them agreeing with Salene.  
"Okay, okay! Quiet please! Okay, hands up for everyone who agrees with Salene, raise your hand." Amber completed.  
She looked around, as everyone raised their hands at once, so it was decided, the  
Demon Dogz logo would remain in the Mall, but the rest had to go!  
"Amber! Trudy, Salene!" Pride called out as he struggled into the Mall with KC and  
Jet.  
"Pride! What's happened?" May asked concerned, running down the stairs to the other side of Jet, helping them up the stairs, where the three sat down at a table.  
"It was the Technos, they attacked the Gulls, Jet wouldn't co-operate, so they beat her!" KC interrupted.  
"Is this true?" Amber asked.  
"Yes, my tribe, all gone, only me, I'm a loner, me, Jet! Alone!" She cried, in shame or in sadness, who knows.  
"Calm down Jet! Patsy, can you get Jet some coffee please, there's some hot water in the flasks." Trudy asked, as she put Brady into her baby chair beside Ella and  
Will, who began to cry.  
"It's okay, it's okay, I'll see to them." Salene offered, with Cloe helping, the two carried a child each to Salene's room, where they tried to hush them to sleep.

Lex, Ryan and Zeke continued to collect food, they had raided all the food stores in sector six, after all, the Gulls were gone!  
"Zeke, Lex, Jack in here, look!" Ryan shouted over to them as he forced open the door to an old warehouse that looked as if it hadn't been used since the virus!  
"Jackpot!" Lex cheered.  
The three of them stood in the doorway, shocked expressions on their faces.  
The warehouse was full of cramped shelves, all filled with food, medical supplies, clothes, everything you would have found in a supermarket!  
"Okay, Ryan, you grab all the clothes you can, Zeke, you take the medicines and beauty products, just to treat the girls!" Lex laughed. "I'll get the food, Jack, you help me."  
The three of them went to separate ends of the building, each of them stuffing whatever they could into their bags.  
"Lex, my bag isn't big enough, I hardly have anything in it." Jack complained, he was right, his bag was big, but he couldn't fit much in it.  
"Okay, can you have a look through there, see if there's anything on wheels we could use to take it all back to the mall." Lex told him.  
Jack walked through to a room that looked to be an old storeroom, he smiled as he  
spotted a load of old shopping trolleys sitting in the corner, he pushed all five  
of them together, and guided them through to Lex.  
"Oh great! Okay, fill the trolleys, and your bags, then we'll go back.  
It took the four of them about fifteen minutes to fit as much as possible into the trolleys, two of them overflowing, but Ryan and Zeke bound everything into it with old conveyor belts from a scrap piece of machinery.  
"Well aren't the others on for a treat when they see what we've got them!" Lex laughed.  
Jack, Ryan and Zeke pushed a trolley each, while Lex struggled with the other two, but they found themselves back in the old Mall car park in record time.

The Technos stood in shock when Zoot made a surprise appearance to them.  
"Technos, slaves, everyone, lend me your ears. I have never appeared in front of you all like this before, but now that I am here, you know I am genuine. We have today achieved the first step to power. Rider and Jay took a handful of their men, and overpowered the Gulls tribe. I am now staying in the Stadium permanently, and will be watching over my people, you guys, to see what great jobs you are doing.  
We are now preparing for the next step, Phoenix Destruction!" Zoot shouted as his tribe cheered happily, all of them sneering with satisfactory looks.  
"But we must be patient, remember we are not a violent tribe, power and chaos is our way to control, but when this is achieved, we will work hard to keep our power, after all, you don't want to end up like Jaffa, do you?" Zoot reminded them, thinking back to the time of the Chosen.  
"Zoot, what about Jet, the Gull leader?" One of them asked.  
"Jet? I'm sorry comrade, but what exactly do you mean?" Zoot enquired.  
Oops the others thought, Jay and Rider had ordered for this attack without Zoot's consent, they had really put their foot in it this time!

The Mall was in darkness, the re-vamp had made a real difference, and it took them only four hours! Amber looked around, she was choked, she could not quite believe how much it looked like the old mall, where she used to live.  
"It's like, home." Patsy smiled.  
"The old Mall, the boring mall!" KC added.  
"Come on guys, it's dull, boring, dead, but once we have this celebration, we'll have a complete redecoration, every Mall Rat will be allocated where they will sleep, and they can decorate it however they want. Is everyone okay with that?"  
Amber smiled, as she admired her work, their work, the Mall Rat's home.  
"Hey! What's going on in here! Tai-San, Salene, KC!" Lex yelled as he and the others entered the Mall, he thought someone had taken the others and trashed the  
Mall, as all he could see was a dark, dreary flight of stairs!  
"Lex! Relax, everything's fine, we just had a change, we decided that if we were all to make a fresh start, then why shouldn't the mall." Salene relaxed him, as  
Ryan came and hugged her.  
"Look what we've got!" Ryan told them as Zeke and Jack hauled the four trolleys round the corner, everyone smiling in astonishment.  
"How, where, what! Lex, Ryan, where did all this come from?" Trudy choked.  
"That's mines! You took it from our warehouse, didn't you!" Jet demanded as she jumped from her stairs and leaned over the balcony.  
"Jet, you don't have a tribe anymore, sorry, but we need this, you don't." Lex told her, as he helped unpack the trolleys.  
"Make-up! Tablets, medicine, food!" May cried, as she walked towards the over flowing trolleys.  
"I don't know about you guys, but this does belong to the Gulls, and if Jet is alone now, the least we can do is let her join us." Ebony told them. She and  
Tai-San had arrived minutes earlier, the other Mall Rats glad when Ebony said she was staying with them, the last thing they needed was for her to turn on them, now that she was Queen of the City anyway!  
"What are you saying Ebony, that she becomes a Mall Rat?" Salene questioned.  
"Well, if she wants, we give her a safe stable environment to stay in, we share the goods." Ebony suggested.  
"Um, I agree with Ebony on the one. But before we start a big discussion, let's get the kitchen's stocked, Amber, Trudy, Salene, Tai-San, can you guys organize the table and food, Patsy and Cloe, you guys look after the babies. Ellie, Ebony, can you find somewhere for the medical supplies, and the make-up. I'll take the guys and tidy outside the Mall, secure it, Jack, can you get working on some traps again, in the sewers and car park." Lex told them all, acting very mature about the whole thing. The others nodded, none of them disagreeing.  
"Lex, I'm gonna need some help, Dal did a lot of work for me, it'll take ages if I'm too do it on my own." Jack told him.  
"Okay, Zeke, any good with computers?" Lex asked.  
"Sorry, I'll give it a go anyway if you want." Zeke offered.  
"What about me, if I'm gonna be with you guys, I'm gonna need something to do!"  
Jet complained.  
"May, you show Jet around the place, get her used to everything. Now what are we all waiting for, there's work to be done! Oh, Danni, can you help in the kitchen thanks." Lex ordered them all, the other couldn't believe how much thought Lex was putting into all this, he was so focused, not like the other Lex!  
They all went their separate ways and began working straight away.

"So, Zeke, that your real name?" Jack asked as he fiddled with some wires from an old alarm system.  
"Yeah, real and only name, I mean no middle names. You're Jack right?" Jack nodded, as he tried to concentrate. "So I take it you an expert on computers. I've never been any good with those sort of things. I had an older brother, he was great with them, would have been good just now, I mean without any electricity or something. He would have come up with something." Zeke continued.  
"You're brother, I guess he died from the virus." Jack asked sadly. Zeke nodded.  
"So, tell me about yourself, where are you from, how did you find Ryan?"  
"I went with some old friends, we raided the Chosen Mines when they started to split, Ryan was in one of them, we started talking. He told me about you guys, and Salene. Everyone else was leaving for the mountains; they didn't want to go back to the city, afraid of memories I guess. Ryan decided to leave with us, then Salene tracked us down, Pony Joe had told her about us, or something like that.  
Ryan decided to go back, I went with him, I didn't see a point on going to the mountains, I mean it couldn't have been much different. What do you think? Zeke told Jack, who was still fiddling with the wires.  
"Yeah, sounds an exciting story." Jack replied, then he jumped as the got another signal from the mysterious girl on the radio.  
"What's that?" Zeke asked puzzled as he looked around.  
Jack told him to hush, and pulled the headphones over his ears. He concentrated on what the girl was saying, and a shock of horror crossed his face at what he heard in the background

"Boy, those guys brought back enough food too last us a lifetime!" Salene laughed as she had a chop at some onions, as the others stood putting the other food into the cupboards.  
"The Gulls were a pretty big tribe, but I don't think they needed the half of what they had!" Danni replied.  
"What do you think of Jet becoming one of us, I mean she only lost her tribe, she seemed quick to agree to be one of us." Trudy said to them.  
"I don't think Jet is as tough as she looks, she may have been a tribe leader, but now, she's nothing, she needs someone, well she's more than welcome to stay here as far as I'm concerned." Tai-San answered as she closed the cupboard door and helped Salene prepare the food.  
"Tai-San's right, normally I'd be cautious over new members, but Jet seems okay, I mean she wasn't exactly polite when we were held up here with the Chosen, but I guess what Tai-San said is true, she probably was sacred." Salene added.  
"I agree, but let's leave this talk till dinner, come on, let's get cooking!"  
Amber told them, pouring milk into a large bowl.

Crystal walked into her bedroom, where she found Piper crying on her bed.  
"What's the matter with you? Let me guess, Jay not giving you what you need?"  
Crystal laughed as she pushed Piper from the bed.  
"Yeah, laugh, you'll be laughing when Jay makes his move, you all will be!" She cried, and ran for the door, Crystal slamming it shut before she was able to run.  
"What's happened? What did you mean by that?" Crystal demanded.  
"Nothing, I'm just upset, hurt, look, I have to go." Piper told her, wiping the tears from her cheek.  
"Yeah, you'll be hurt if you don't tell me what's going on, what did you mean about Jay!" Crystal shouted, demanding the truth.  
"He raped me, okay, he told me his plans, I was gonna tell Zoot, so he raped me! I didn't know what he wanted to do, so he told me, and then raped me, so I wouldn't blab. It wasn't my fault, you know, he hurt me, I couldn't escape, it wasn't my fault!" She cried, falling into Crystal's shoulder, who hugged her furious at  
Jay.  
"Okay, I want you to stay here, I'm just gonna get something, okay?" Crystal lay her back on the bed, and stormed out to find Jay. She was in luck, he was on his way to see Piper.  
"Crystal, seen your sister anywhere?" Jay asked, acting as if nothing had happened.  
"You bas" Crystal tried to shout, but he grabbed her and threw her into the room.  
"Get off me! I know what you done, you're not getting away with it, no!" She screamed.  
"Shut up! You're not gonna tell anyone, now sit on that bed, and listen to me!"  
Jay ordered, shoving her onto the bed, but Crystal stood back up, and spat in his face. He slapped her, knocking her against the floor, Piper came from behind, and jumped on his back. Crystal stood back up, her head thumping in pain, and hit Jay violently on the head with a tennis racket, the two of them ran for help, as Jay struggled to his feet, and chased them from the stadium.

It felt more like a week, and not a day, by the time the Mall Rats had organized everything for the celebration, but finally they had all finished their jobs, and were each sat at some point around the long rectangular table which was full of bowls piled with foods, sweets, snacks, along with a freshly cooked chicken, and boiled potatoes.  
"We have all came so far, fought so many battles together, but today, we all stand here, together, united, as one, to celebrate our victory once again, and to make a solemn oath, whatever happens, we will go through life, together, fight our battle together, as one, we are the Mall Rats!" Amber stood holding a glass of orange juice, toasting to the future, as the others raised their glasses, and cheered to the future.  
"Yeah, so I think we should all swear, make a solemn promise, that you are a Mall Rat, swear never to betray us, and that we will never be defeated!" Lex added, continuous cheering in the room.  
"I know a lot of people round this table right now, don't like me, but I just wanna say, you took me in, fed me, gave me a bed to sleep in, and you didn't have to, so thank you. And I agree with Lex, so long as we stick together, we are capable of anything, and we will fight everything that comes our way!" Ebony added, more cheers filling the room.  
"Okay, okay, enough with the speeches. I know you all wanna get stuck into the food, bit first, I think it's time we elected a new tribe leader, or leaders.  
Bray's gone, and we don't know when he'll be back, so anyone wanna nominate someone for leader, raise your hand." Amber told them, looking round at her family.  
Trudy rose her hand, then Jack, then Salene and then Danni.  
Trudy spoke first, "I just wanna say sorry for everything I did with the Chosen, especially to Patsy, Salene, Ryan, Cloe, and Dal. But now, I want to nominate Danni for leader, Amber, you have the twins now, Lex, well, maybe 2nd in command, and Pride, you haven't been with us very long."  
"I nominate Tai-San and Amber, Tai-San because she's level headed, and Amber, because she was the one who got us here in the first place." Jack told them.  
"I agree with Jack, about Amber, sorry tai-San, but you don't have any experience,  
Ebony, I also think you, and Pride." Salene added.  
"Well, I'm not gonna vote for my self obviously, but although I don't know you,  
Amber, I think you'd be the best leader. And Lex, you seem to have changed." Danni concluded.  
"Sorry everyone, I refuse to be leader, I have a family now, I can't lead the tribe, and look after you guys at the same time. I am truly sorry." Amber told them, as she glanced over at her two beautiful babies who sat asleep in the opposite room with Brady.  
"Looks like Lex is leader, but I think Danni would be leader, or Tai-San, let's vote, Lex?" Ebony asked the others.  
KC rose his hand, followed by Ebony herself, and then Ryan.  
"Danni?" Ebony then asked.  
The remaining Mall Rats all rose their hands except Danni, Cloe, Patsy, Ellie and Zeke.  
"Okay, Danni, Tai-San, do you to want the responsibility of joint leader, with Lex 2nd in charge?" Amber asked them.  
Danni nodded, Tai-San copying, and Lex smiling proudly.  
So the next leaders were Danni, Tai-San and Lex, how long would they last?

Crystal and Piper found themselves running around the city like a bunch of headless chickens, the two agreed to split, and try to get back to the stadium before Jay did. Crystal got back, but Piper got lost, and found herself in the Mall! Jay followed her, and grabbed her back, Lex and Ryan running to see what was going down.  
"Hey! Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in this Mall?" Lex demanded.  
"Stay out of this, Piper, you're coming back with me, now!" Jay ordered, dragging her roughly across the Mall floor.  
"Please, you gotta get him off me!" Piper begged, crying.  
"Look, I don't have a clue what's going on hear, but you heard the lady, let go off her!" Lex demanded, trying to keep calm.  
"Don't make a scene Piper, now come on, let's go!" Jay asked her, trying to stay clam too.  
"Piper! Lex! Help her, you gotta help her!" Ebony demanded as she leant across the balcony after she recognized the voice of the girl.  
"Okay, get out of here now! I'm not gonna ask you again!" Lex ordered, he saw how concerned Ebony was.  
"Okay, go, and to come back to base, or I swear, you'll never see the light of day again!" Jay screamed at her, pushing her roughly to the ground.  
Jay stormed out of the Mall, as Ebony ran down and sat Piper up, hugging her calmly.  
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay." Ebony hushed her, trying to clam her down.  
Piper was shaking so much; the others thought she was having a fit. Ebony tried to stand her up, but she kept falling back to the ground, so Ebony and Lex brought her up the stairs.  
"Okay, I want some answers, and I wan them now!" Amber demanded, she wasn't the leader anymore, but the others still respected her as one.  
"Well you guys seem to have a whole lot of drama in you little Mall here!" Jet joked, helping herself to some crisps.  
"Hey! Leave that alone, we're still eating it, just not right now." Patsy told her. "Right Lex?"  
"Right, look, I think it's about time we done something about this new tribe, Ebony, Danni, Patsy, I want some answers, who are the Technos, and what do you know?" Lex agreed, trying to organize plans against the new tribe.  
"Pride, Ryan, can you guys go out again, try to find out some information, we have to find out where the last of the Chosen disappeared too, and I want to know what's going on with these new guys." Danni asked them. "Trudy, Amber, May, can you look after the babies. Patsy, Cloe, KC, try and find somewhere in the Mall the animals can stay, there're too many of us for them to stay up here now, sorry. Lex,  
you, I will go to the stadium, Tai-San, Zeke, Ellie, can you guys organize everything for the night, beds, rooms whatever. Jet, Jack, can the two of you find somewhere to store all this food. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day, so we might as well get a heard start tonight." Danni ordered everyone. "The rest of you find something else to do, okay." She smiled, as they all set out to work.

Hope Island looked deserted; all you could see was wasteland from the explosion of the observatory last year. There was still some of the building in tact, but it was full of ex-chosen, chanting the praise of Zoot.  
"Brethren, we have, over this last week, lost the city of Zoot, to this new tribe, the Technos. But there will come a time where it will all be in our power again, the next generation of Chosen will raise above those city dwellers, and spread the news of Zoot, to the distance of places. But today, we have achieved great things, we have a spy among the Mall Rats, I can't tell you whom he or she is, but they are doing their duties now, and soon the Mall will be ours once again!" The Guardian cheered! Still as delusional as ever over Zoot!  
"Power and Chaos!" The Chosen chanted, as the moon descended over the mountains by the coast.

Night had fell early today, probably because it was reaching October, and the weather was changing dramatically. The stadium was in silence for a change, Jay and Rider walked around, guarding the rooms of Zoot and his strongest followers. Crystal was in her room, frantic with worry, she hadn't a clue what had happened to her sister, Piper, and what would Jay do to her? Pride and Ryan had returned late, the other Mall Rats in their bed. They had no luck in the city, everyone seemed terrified about the disappearing acts going on all over the place, and the mysterious vehicles, and chanting circulating. Amber had cried herself to sleep. She was back in the Mall, her first proper night since Eagle Mountain. But it wasn't right, Pride was with May, Bray was dead as far as she knew, Sasha hadn't returned for almost a year, Dal was gone. Everyone was leaving her, her parents died during the virus, so did her sister; her brother ran away from home, she hadn't a clue where he was. All she had in the whole world was her two babies, with no dad, and maybe even no future

The sun found it's way through to the Mall, shining on the grills and banisters beside the stairs. Ellie and Jack were the first to awake; they had woke at six in the morning after Jack got another signal for help. He and Ellie spent two hours trying to trace it, but Jack didn't have the correct equipment to trace it properly, but the signal was quite strong, he thought it might be coming from somewhere in the mountains, not far from Eagle Mountain, but until he knew different, there was nothing more they could do. KC woke next, he helped himself to the over flowing cupboards, stocked fully for the first time since Eagle Mountain. He poured out some milk for Cloudy who spent the whole night sleeping on a pillow under a table in the Caf. Porky was still asleep, on the first landing  
of the stairs, where Cloe's rabbit, which she had named Trinket after her pet guinea pig. May and Pride followed KC into the Caf, they didn't get a lot of sleep, they spent most of night worrying about The Technos. Amber and Trudy had been up almost all night, Ella and Will refused to stay asleep for longer than an hour! Zeke was sleeping in Lex's room on the floor, there wasn't any beds left, Piper had used the last one, which was Zeke's to begin with. He woke early too, but didn't get up for a while later, he was a very lazy guy! Salene, Ryan and Patsy all waltzed through side-by-side after Cloudy had jumped all over their beds and woke them! The Mall Rats were all shocked when Brady had managed to sneak through on her own, she could walk perfectly now, and was even starting to speak!  
Jet sat at a table with Salene and Ryan, picking bits off cereal from their plates, without even asking! Danni, Lex and Tai-San were sitting at a separate table away from the other Mall Rats, discussing how they would face their new responsibilities as leaders. Ebony was the last to come for breakfast; Piper had woken in tears after she had a whole night of nightmares about Jay. Ebony finally told the others that Piper was her sister. But they had been separated since they were ten, after their parents separated. Ebony also admitted that Latisha, also known as Crystal (her nickname used by the Technos), was her sister. Ebony begged the Mall Rats to help her rescue Latisha after telling them Piper's rape story, and what the Technos had planned to do. After a long discussion that took them  
the whole morning, Lex and the others agreed to help Ebony and Piper, on the conditions that she stood down as city leader and Amber would take her place. Ebony had agreed to this, but the others were unsure if she would keep her word.  
Well, they had no choice but to trust her, and five of them went straight to work, storming the Stadium by force! Lex, Pride, Ryan, Zeke and Ebony all snuck to the  
Stadium and found that it was easy to get in, but would they get out as easy?

Trudy managed to get Piper to trust the Mall Rats, and they made a shocking discovery.  
"I don't know what Jay meant by it, but there were rumors flying around everywhere after that, some Technos were even claiming to have seen Zoot themselves. I was never one of them, I just went along with them because they had a good thing going, food, technology, decent tribe members, well I thought they did anyway. Latisha and I, we were only young at the time, I was only sixteen, she was fifteen, we had nowhere else to do, we heard Ebony was held out in this city, so we thought we'd come and see how our sister was doing." Piper explained to them.  
The other Mall Rats screwed up their faces, they couldn't believe that Ebony had a family, and none of them even knew about it!  
"So, what are you gonna do now? I mean you've found Ebony, and you can hardly go  
back to The Technos." Ellie asked.  
Piper shook her head, biting her bottom lip, her chin starting to shrivel, she was trying not to cry, but it hurt not to. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm crying, I should be happy. I'm not like Ebony, she's strong, always looked out for number one, she takes after her mom, I guess Latisha and I are daddy's girls, we're strong to, but not in the way Ebony is." Piper laughed, trying her best to smile and hide her sadness. "Latisha said Ebony had her own tribe, Loco's or something like that, so we thought we'd join her, but when we got here, we found out about The Chosen, and that Ebony was gone, then she came back, now she's a Mall Rat, the famed virus curare tribe! So I guess we'll just find somewhere else, move on." Piper sighed, taking a sip of water from the colorless glass cup in front of her.  
"I guess you could stay here for a few days, there's plenty of room, but I'm afraid there's no bed left." Danni offered. "That's not a problem with you guys is it?" She asked her tribe, looking round at the others who shook their head, some of them not agreeing, but agreeing anyway, if you get what that means! "Okay, well it seems unanimous, so if you wanna, you're welcome t crash here." Danni smiled.

"Lex, it's my sister in there somewhere, I don't want you guys getting caught, let me go in alone." Ebony asked, sounding all heroic and moral.  
"Sorry Ebony, we agreed at the Mall, all five of us would rescue her, Zeke and I will cause a distraction, you and Ryan look for Latisha, and Pride will cover your backs, okay?" Lex told her, nodding. Ebony nodded back, as Lex ran straight for the center of the Stadium. He was surprised no one noticed him, but Zeke drastically threw a plastic box in Lex's direction, which caused a stir, and Technos came running in all directions.  
"Nice one!" Lex whispered, in a deep voice, as he and Zeke split up, both chased separately in circles around the Stadium. Ebony found her way down a near-by cellar-like stairwell, where she was followed closely by Ryan, and then Pride. She peeked through every door she passed, with only three more doors to check; she was starting to think she was lost. She heard the sound of several guards trooping down the stairs, not far from her. Ryan and Pride hid in a near by air vent, muttering to Ebony to come with them, but she spotted Latisha in the opposite room, one guard came speeding round the corner, Ebony turned to Ryan and Pride, then back to Latisha, she thought to herself, should she go to Latisha, or hide with Ryan and Pride? Latisha she nodded, and ran into the room where Latish sat staring into space.  
"Ebony!" She cried happily, her voiced choked in tears as happiness filled her heart.  
"Come on, you're coming with me, Piper's safe, come on!" Ebony dragged her to the door.  
The two of them crashed into the air vent, where they squeezed side-by-side to Ryan and Pride.  
"Search all the rooms! They can't have gone far!" One of the guards ordered, pointing to the rooms.  
"Go forward, it takes you to the other side of the stadium, right by an emergency exit." Latisha whispered, gently pushing the others forward.  
They all crawled forward, as fast as they could, cramped between the sided, gasping for air.  
Latisha screamed as she seen a rat scurrying in below her, Ebony wrapped her hand over her mouth, and hushed her quiet. They had almost reached the exit where Latisha spotted a young girl, about four, sitting prisoner in a damp room, alone. "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you, please!" Latisha asked, calmly and quietly, the other three were hesitant, but eventually carried on to the outside of the stadium.  
"Come on." Latisha told the girl, lifting her into the vent in the ceiling, following behind her. Latisha ran carrying the girl in her arms, followed by Ebony, Pride and Ryan.  
"You guys go back to the Mall, I'm gonna wait on Lex and Zeke!" Ryan told them, running back to the Stadium where he spotted tanks of petroleum being carried to all the exits!

"Ebony, what's going on, who are all these people?" Latisha demanded, confused and scared.  
"It's a long story, Piper's safe, come on, I'll tale you to her, we got a lot of catching up to do!" Ebony told her.  
"So who's this little critter?" Pride smiled as the little girl hid her face in Latisha's chest.  
"It's okay, this is Pride, he's a good guy." Ebony smiled at the little girl.  
"Go on." Latisha nudged her.  
"Aaliyah." She told them, a quiet, shy little voice, so soft and innocent.  
"She works as a slave for the Technos, she's only six. She used to be one of us,  
I mean, them, the she tried to escape, they started getting all weird, lots of guys tried to split, but were caught, and locked away. Aaliyah's like a sister to me, when Piper and me joined the Technos, Aaliyah was already with us, she's been with us since the virus, so as far as I'm concerned, she's a sister." Latisha smiled at her, and she smiled back, taking hold of her hand. Ebony smiled, Pride glanced at her, he was confused, he knew Latisha was Ebony's sister, but he couldn't believe how emotional Ebony was acting!  
"Come on, I don't think those guys will waste anytime trying to find you, we better hurry back to the Mall!" Pride told them, each of them picking up the pace.

"They've been gone almost an hour now! It can't be taking them that long, something's happened!" Piper panicked as she paced around, she was beginning to irritate the others.  
"Piper! Sit down!" Tai-San yelled. "Sorry, look, they'll be fine, Ebony and Lex are with them, so they'll be fine okay, try and relax."  
Piper nodded, and sat on a chair, where she began tapping the table.  
May rolled her eyes. "Piper! Please, can you just stop making those little noises, for just two minutes." May tried to ask calmly, her head was thumping. She was beginning to worry too, about Pride, but she wasn't showing it, May had always been strong in that way, a real street fighter!  
"Not again!" Amber complained, as Ella and Will began crying again, this time louder than last! She stormed through to her babies; picking Will up first, rocking him gently. "Please can't you stay quiet for just one minute, please."  
Amber asked, her eyes choking in tears.  
"Hey, give him to me, you take Ella." Trudy offered, as she took Will from Amber's arms.  
The two stood rocking for about five minutes and eventually got them to sleep.  
They sat down, and after two seconds, Ella began screaming.  
"God sake! I can't handle much more of this! It's all his fault! If he didn't go off and leave me, I wouldn't have to cope like this! I hate him Trudy, I hate him!" Amber fell, dropping to her knees, crying hurtfully.  
"Hey, hey, hate who?" Trudy asked, hugging Amber, trying to calm her down.  
"Him! Bray, the stupid guy who I thought was different, genuine, but he just walks up and leaves me as soon as he's a dad, without even saying goodbye! I hope he's dead, you know, I never wanna see him again!" Amber screamed at her, running from the room, and out of the Mall.  
"Amber! You don't mean that, Amber!" Trudy chased after her to the foot of the stairs, but there was no way she would catch her up.  
Trudy sighed, then turned around to see the others staring at her, Jet laughing, shaking her head.  
"What are you all looking at? Don't you have anything better to do!" Trudy yelled, walking back to the twins who were still crying.

Back at the Stadium, Lex and Zeke stood, ambushed by the main exit, which was covered in petrol cans, with Rider and Jay at each end.  
"Today, we have been invaded by the enemy tribe, The Mall Rats, they have kidnapped two of our most loyal followers, Piper and Crystal, aka Latisha, along with prisoner, Aaliyah. We have these invaders trapped in there, our home, but there is no escape, your duty, too find them, and take them straight to your leader, where they will be given their punishment, of death by hanging, in flames!  
"Lex, look, there's only two guards over there, we could take them on, it's our only way." Zeke pointed over to the furthest side of the exit, where two guards, both young looking, stood tired looking.  
"Okay, come on!" Lex told him, the two ran straight for the guards, knocking them away first time, and found themselves out of the stadium in no time, but something wasn't right, there was no one chasing them! They didn't bother to hang around and ask questions, they just headed straight back to the Mall, back in no time at all!  
"Hey! Lex! Wait up! You guys got away easy!" Ryan told them, he had been running after them all the way, unable to catch up till then.  
"Lex! Ryan!" Ebony cried, Lex and Zeke had even managed to overtake Ebony and the others!  
"You guys got back quick!" Pride gasped, running out of air; they too had been running, but not nearly as fast as Lex and Zeke!  
Pride looked around, his eyes stopping at the playground where he spotted Amber crying.  
"I'll be back in a minute guys, just gonna scout around, make sure nothings wrong, okay." Pride told them, they nodded, as Pride ran over to Amber.

The others headed into the Mall, where everything was in silence.  
"Gees, sounds like you guys are having fun!" Lex laughed, as Tai-San popped her head down the stairs.  
"Hey guys, your back, how'd it go, did you find her?" Danni asked, as she walked down the stairs to welcome them.  
"Ebony, please tell me you..." Piper asked, smiling emotionally as she saw Latisha and Aaliyah approaching the stairs.  
"Piper!" Aaliyah cried, as she ran up to hug her.  
"I don't wanna spoil the reunion, but bad news, Zeke and I got caught, we escaped, but I don't think those guy's will give up easily, I think Piper and Latisha mean a lot to them, so I think we better prepare for an attack." Lex told them, trying not to worry everyone.  
"Okay, Lex, what makes you think this?" Danni asked.  
"Where's Pride?" May asked after searching round everyone.  
"Um, he's outside, checking everything's okay." Ryan told her, as he hugged  
Salene.

"Amber, what are you doing out here?" Pride asked, as he sat in the swing beside her.  
"I wish I was dead, I just wish that when they thought I died on Eagle Mountain, that I actually did! I thought Bray was different, he seemed so genuine, but as soon as I had the twins, he left me!" Amber cried, her mind frustrated.  
"No, Bray was taken by the Technos, he didn't leave you, he loves you too much, he wouldn't abandon you." Pride told her.  
"Really?" Amber asked. She hadn't quite realized what actually happened the day in the barn.  
"Really." Pride smiled, as Amber walked over to the bench, followed by Pride.  
"Hey, now you're a strong person, and those babies need you, I don't wanna hear you talking like this again okay?" Pride asked her.  
Amber nodded, and snuggled into Pride, he wrapped his arm round her, and they hugged. Pride lifted his head back, and swept Amber's hair from her face. He nodded, and smiled, she looked into his eye, and moved her face closer. Pride wondered if she was on the rebound from Bray, but he concentrated on her face, the light shining brightly onto her right cheek, he realized she wasn't. Amber closed her eyes, and her lips touched Pride's.  
"Pride! There you are!" May cried out happily as she came round the corner looking for him. "Oh, Amber, hey are you okay?" She asked, as she saw Pride had been comforting her.  
"I'm okay, thanks, I'll let you guys have some time alone, see you back inside."  
She smiled, walking round the corner.  
"Stranger, I thought something had happened to you. Come here." May smiled, she pulled Pride towards her by him jacket, and kissed him passionately.  
Amber peeped back round, tears trickling down her face as she watched in pain as  
May and Pride kissed romantically. She jumped back as they pulled away from each other.  
"I think we should carry this on in the Mall, don't you?" May smiled.  
"I heard there are some nice parts in the woods." Pride smiled back. May giggled, and the two of them ran hand in hand to the forest.  
Amber watched them fade into the distance, and cried against the wall.

"Danni, Tai-San, Lex, can I talk to you guys alone please." Ebony asked as the three walked towards her.  
"What is it Ebony?" Tai-San asked as each of them took a seat away from the others.  
"Piper and Latisha, they're my family, I haven't seen them in years, and they have no where to go, no one to turn to. And Aaliyah, she's practically one of us, my family I mean. I was wondering, if I got you some more furniture, food, the essentials, could they join us, I mean be a Mall Rat?" Ebony asked them.  
"Ebony, I dunno, I mean this place is cramped as it is, with Jet and Zeke, I dunno if there'll be nay room for three more." Danni told her.  
"Danni, three more won't hurt, I mean if Ebony can get us six more beds, and some food, I'm sure we can manage." Tai-San agreed.  
"Six?" Ebony sighed.  
"Well we need extra just in case." Lex smiled.  
"Okay, I'll try my best. But we should be preparing for the attack at the moment, shouldn't we?" Ebony told them, smiling. They stood up, and told the others plans for the attack.

Meanwhile, the city was buzzing with wandering kids, all confused over this new tribe.  
"Okay, Ebony is weak, we coped on our own before, why should we need a leader now?  
I think this is all just a Mall Rat scheme to get what they want!" One of them stood up and argued.  
"Yeah!" The crowds all cheered in unison.  
"So I say, we all go together, destroy Ebony's palace, and take at back for ourselves, because we do not need a leader of our city!" He cried, sounding very serious.  
"Yeah! Come on guys, what are we waiting for!" Another said, this time it was a  
female voice ordering, the crowds storming for the Horton Bailey, full speed ahead!

"Okay, before we start preparations for the attack, Lex, and Tai-San and myself have all agreed, if it's okay with you guys, for Piper, Latisha and Aaliyah to join us." Danni told them, as they all sat side-by-side watching their leaders speak to them.  
"So, putting it to a vote, what do you say, everyone who says yes, raise their hands." Lex told them.  
Ellie, Jack, Patsy, Cloe, KC, Zeke, Ebony, Ryan, Tai-San, Lex and Danni rose their hands.  
"And no." Tai-San asked.  
Amber, Trudy, Salene, Zeke, Jet, Pride and May all raised their hands.  
"We don't even know them, I don't think we should be so quick as to let them join." Amber told them.  
"Amber, we you guys didn't know me or KC, you let us stay, we didn't know Danni, or May, or Zeke, but we let them stay, why should they be any different?" Tai-San asked her.  
Amber hesitated, and thought about what Tai-San had just said. She nodded.  
"I guess you're right, okay, well I agree, let them stay." Salene smiled, and  
Amber.  
The others who disagreed also changed their minds, and agreed.  
"Okay, well it's settled, welcome to the tribe." Danni smiled, the others clapped and cheered happily to welcome the new tribe members.

"You are all very aware of the recent goings on in this Stadium. Ever since we made ourselves known, there has been trouble. Piper left us, for these disgusting Rats, and then took Latisha and the traitor, Aaliyah with her!" Jay lied to them, he knew the real reason Piper left, because of him, and Latisha and Aaliyah were not kidnapped, they went of there own free will!  
"Yeah!" The chorus of echoing followers filled the atmosphere.  
"So tonight, we plan our attack, but we do not want these do-gooders killed, they may come in useful at some point, but for now, I want Piper, Latisha and Aaliyah back, and patsy! So first thing tomorrow, twenty of you are going on an attack!" Rider ordered.  
"I may be your leader, but for now, you will take orders from both Rider and Jay, and new recruit, Jason." Zoot told them, they all cheered, as he left the stage, and Jason introduced himself.  
"None of you will know me, or ever have met me before, but for now, I am a leader, your leader, and a true member of the Techno's. I am a skilled computer expert, with the ability to destroy anything, or anyone who gets in my way, by using these skills. I will be leading tomorrow's attack, and I would like the following people to go to Rider's room. Their names are. Buzz, Frankie, Beth, Zodiac, Clone, Razor and Stan. Thank you, and the rest of you may leave. You will be notified of any developments concerning the Mall Rats when the time comes." Jason nodded, and everyone left their separate ways.  
Rider and Jay followed Jason, keeping their distance.  
"I don't trust him." Rider shook his head.  
"Zoot does, and that's all that matters for now." Jay replied. "But I agree, Zoot may know him, but we don't, so we better be careful. He could be a spy for all we know." Jay added.  
"You mean a Chosen, or Mall Rat?" Rider asked, eyes wide open.  
"No Dumbo! I mean for Zoot, to check up on us, you know." Jay explained.  
"Oh, I see, yeah you got a point. Now come on, we'll be late." Rider hurried along.

Ebony had spent almost all night at the Mall, after a huge discussion about defense plans. She was going back later that night, but with some of her men as guards. And Jack was arranging all the alarms, with Ellie, KC and Ryan on booby-traps.  
"Hey! What the hell is going on here?" Ebony demanded as she saw crowds of people at the other side of her Palace.  
"Ebony, we couldn't stop them, they want ride of you, they say they don't need you as a leader, that they managed fine before, so what's different now? And they say you're going soft, and that this is just another Mall Rat scam. And well, some of us agree, sorry Ebony, you only have five of your men left, bye." One of her men told her, as he ran with a crowd of other guards and joined the mob of angry kids.  
"Okay! Fine then. Have it your way, but this is not the last of it! I'll be back here in a few days, and you guys better have changed your ideas, or else!" Ebony threatened furiously. "The rest of you, if you wanna stay with me, then we're going to the Mall. My tribe is being attacked, we need protection. You guys are the best for the job, if that's okay?" Ebony asked. They nodded, and they gathered equipment to use as weapons, then headed for the Mall.

"News from the City, the Mall Rats are being attacked, by the Technos. Ebony is no longer leader; she has overthrown by a mob of kids, who think they can look after themselves! It turns out the strong and powerful Ebony has a family, three young sisters, Piper, Latisha and Aaliyah. We shall be returning soon my friends; the invasion is soon to begin. One problem, in the hills, there seems to be a lot of people dying, some say it is a new virus, others say a serial killer is on the prowl. So I want each of you to be extra careful when you return. The Mosey leader, Dee, she is back in power of her tribe. Moz has disappeared. And there is also a new tribe coming together, powerful, chaotic, but not like The Technos. Some are saying Ebony is forming them, others say they just came together accidentally. The Gulls are no more, The Technos took them over, they gave up easy, I always said they were a weak tribe. But Jet, she put up a fight, and guesses who took her under their wing, the Mall Rats! There have also been a few old faces returning to the City. Most of them linked to The Mall Rats. There are Chosen traitors or prisoners such as Patsy, Ryan, Danni, and others who are nameless for the moment! Bray is no more however, I don't know yet what has happened to him, but I think The Technos have him. And I am constantly being asked what has happened to The Chosen's Lt. Luke; well he is dead, as far as I know. Also, the leader of the Technos has been revealed, our old friend Jason. Okay, I must go now, but be ready for movement; this will not be our base for much longer, people are asking questions, and getting closer to the truth, but soon, judgment day will arrive!" A strange man, with a familiar voice, in the shadows declared to his tribe.

"Pride! May! Where have you guys been?" Tai-San demanded, the Mall Rats had been planning the attack, with no idea where they were.  
"Sorry Tai-San, we got lost, um, in the woods." May giggled, biting her bottom lip, and grinning at Pride.  
"Amber, Danni, Lex, they're here, it's okay.  
"About time!" Lex said as he came from the kitchen with Danni.  
"Where did you guys go?" Danni wondered.  
"Um, don't ask!" Tai-San told her.  
Amber came from her room, where she had been feeding the twins. She looked at Pride, and then at May. She thought back to the playground, she couldn't believe what she had done. She and Pride were very close, but none of them expected what happened, to actually happen!  
"Amber, are you okay now?" Pride stuttered, trying to make conversation, she felt as awkward as she did, after all, he was with May, and he couldn't risk her finding out!  
She nodded, and sat at a table, a sudden feeling of cramp in her stomach.  
"Amber, are you okay?" Danni asked, moving quickly to her side.  
"Yeah, I just need to get some rest." Amber told her, making excuses as usual.  
"Are you sure, I can go get some herbs for you?" Tai-San offered.  
"Tai-San! I don't want any of your stupid herbs! Now will you all just stop fussing!" Amber snapped, rolling her eyes, then she noticed Pride staring at her.  
"We're just concerned." May told her.  
"Did I ask for your concern!" Amber argued back.  
"Okay, come on, I'm gonna get you to bed." Danni told her. She wrapped her arm around Amber, and helped her to her room.  
"No, no, I'm okay, I just wanna sit here for a bit." Amber told her, reaching out for a chair. "Some Paracetomal, then I'll be okay." She told them, reaching for the chair. "Then I'll be okay." She repeated. Then suddenly Amber collapsed to the ground.  
"Amber!" Tai-San cried. "Lex, go get Jack.  
"He's no doctor, that was Dal!" Lex replied.  
"Just get him!" Tai-San argued back.  
Tai-San checked for a pulse, she still had one, and was breathing okay, but she was unconscious. Pride stood staring at her, eyes wide in worry. He prayed nothing would happen, she had to be okay; she had to be.

The Mall Rats had been up most of the night, Amber still unconscious. Ebony had gangs who hated her, and wanted her out. The Chosen say one of the Mall Rats is spying for them. The Technos are planning an attack on the Mall. The Chosen are still around, and waiting to returns. Luke is supposedly dead. Alice is still missing, but Ellie doesn't seem too concerned. Amber and Pride almost shared a kiss. Jack is getting mysterious cries of help over his radio. People in the country seem to be falling fatally ill. A new power crazed tribe is coming together, different to The Technos and The Chosen, but no one knows who they are.  
Latisha, Piper and Aaliyah are now Mall Rats. Amber is under a whole lot of stress over her twins, and has feel unconscious. Someone says that there are a lot of familiar faces returning to the city, a lot of them something to do with the Mall Rats.  
Okay, there're a lot of secrets and queries coming out now, but there are a lot of unexplained and unanswered questions too. What are The Chosen up to? What has happened to Luke? Where did Andy and Tally disappear too? Where is Alice? What's wrong with Amber? Where has Bray really gone? What is making all the country people ill? Why didn't Ebony tell the others she had family? Who is spying on the Mall Rats? Who are the "familiar" faces back in the city? Are The Technos really the tribe bringers of power and chaos, or is this new tribe? What have The Technos done to Moz? Who is Jack hearing on the radio? How long will Ebony stay in power? Will the twins survive? Why was Jet not taking along with her tribe? All these questions have still to be answered, and they will all be soon, but none of us really know the answers for a while yet. Maybe they will never be answered, we'll just have to wait and see

"Okay, everyone, the Technos could come at any minute, so we have to prepare quickly." Danni nodded, as if to ask them if they understood, they all nodded back, and everyone went to get ready.  
Outside the Mall, The Technos were arriving, but not preparing to attack, just looking for the best way in. There was about twenty of them all wearing the traditional Techno uniform of a tight silver suit, with half of their face covered in a silver mask, while the only two females there, Lacey and Beth, were wearing tight leather suit, with similar face masks though.  
"Look, jay, I'm all in for getting Piper and Latisha back, but they're my friends, and if this attack will endanger them in anyway, I don't really wanna take part."  
Lacey stuttered, she hated to argue, but she didn't wanna endanger her friends.  
"Lacey, what's more important, your friends, or your tribe?" Jason yelled back, walking up to her.  
"But my friends are my tribe, how can you tell me to choose one or the other?"  
Lacey asked, her voice all jittery.  
"No! Piper and Latisha are traitors, we are here to get them back, and make them one of us again!" Jason screamed.  
"But" Lacey tried to argue.  
Jay walked up behind her, and kicked her to the ground.  
"You will stay with your tribe, go into that mall, and fight for your leaders!"  
Jay screamed at her, as she crawled away from him, in terror.  
"Do not move away from me when I'm talking!" Jay continued to yell.  
Lacey remained on the ground, in a puddle of tears.  
"Jay! What the hell are you doing? I know Piper and you are together, but you don't take it out on innocents!" Rider demanded. "We are not going in here looking for a fight, all we want is our tribe members back, there won't be any battles, unless they make one for us!" He added.  
"Yes, Jay, I think you should go back to the Stadium, this isn't a good idea you being here." Jason told him. Jay grunted, and pulled an evil look at them, drifting behind the mall.

"Hey guys, I'm not sure, but there's a Techno outside, only the one." Jack called through to the others as he hid in one of the stock rooms, so he could spy on the Technos when they get in.  
"Yeah! Yeah, that's Jay, but he wouldn't go off on his own, they always go in pairs, or more, something isn't right." Piper told them.  
"Look, this is all our fault, why don't we just give ourselves up, then you have nothing to worry about." Latisha told them sighing.  
"Latisha, how many times to we have to tell you, you're one of us now, all three of you are, and we're not letting you go back there, not after everything you told us." Danni said firmly.  
"Yeah, and if you guys go back, then I'd be going with you." Ebony told then, raising her eyebrows.  
"Okay, okay. Sorry, I guess I'm just scared." Latisha nodded, blinking slowly.  
"Yeah, well that Jay is still wandering around, so be better get ready, Cloe,  
Patsy, you two get the babies, and we'll build up the barricade, like we did with  
Trudy at the Tribe Circus battle. I'll try to operate the sewer camera. Lex, Ryan,  
Zeke, KC, you guys will hide downstairs, get ready to attack. Amber, you'll stay hidden in your room. The rest of you are up here, operating the booby-traps, is that okay?" Jack told them.  
Everyone nodded, and got into position.  
"We never get to take part in the fights! Even KC is getting to this time!" Patsy moaned.  
"Well someone has to look after Brady and the twins, and come on, Trudy will be more help than we would." Cloe told hr, as the two sat on a bed while the babies slept.  
"I guess. So, do you think we'll get captured, cause I really can't go back there,  
Cloe, I can't, please don't let them. They know I'm here, and they'll want me back too." Patsy said starting to panic.  
"Patsy, it's okay, Lex and Danni, they can handle them. I won't let them take you, remember Tribe Circus, well it'll be just like then, except the Loco's at the end!  
We'll defeat them, okay?" Cloe tried to cheer her up, then wrapped her arm around her, and hugged her.

"Okay, it looks like the car park is out, as means of entrance, it's to open, I think the sewers are the best option. Lacey, you up to this?" Jason asked her.  
She nodded. "If it's to get them back, then yes, I am." Lacey told them, a slight smile appearing.  
"Okay, to the Mall!" Jason told them, as they all climbed one at a time down the sewer entrance.  
"Rider, you go first, then the rest of you, I'll go behind, make sure everything's safe." Jason told them.  
Rider pushed to the front, where they all snuck through to the main door, and through the old market.  
"Hey, everyone, they're in!" Jack yelled as his bleeper went off, as one of tripped over the wire he had laid out.  
"Okay! We don't want a fight, but unless you hand Piper and Latisha back to us, there will be!" Jason told them. "These are our terms, accept of prepare to fight."  
"No, Latisha and Piper are with us now, and if you want them back, you're gonna have to fight us." Lex told them.  
"Okay then, we warned you!" Rider told them, raising his hand, and they all charged for the Mall Rats.  
Jet and May stood on the first landing of the stairs, where they soaked the Technos with water pistols. "This is so mature!" Jet said sarcastically.  
"Look it's the best we could do, now just hurry up and spray!" May told her.  
Pride ran from the stairs, where he had been helping Jack.  
"Zeke! Behind you!" Pride warned him, as Jason tried to pull a bag over him.  
"Damn you" Jason cursed, as he ran to the others, who were attacking Jack and  
Lex.  
"Ryan, the grills, remember Tribe Circus, what we did then." Jack reminded him.  
"That didn't work though, and look what happened then!" Ryan replied, pushing off Technos who were circulating him.  
"It's our only chance, we'll make them follow us in, KC get the grills, when I shout okay." Jack told him.  
KC nodded, and ran up the stairs, ready to pull the grills down.  
Ryan led them into the trap, where Jack signaled to KC, who pulled the lever,  
Ryan escaping just on time!  
"You'll regret that!" Jason yelled sternly.  
The grills had trapped about seven of them, but there was about ten still attacking them.  
"Ebony! Where have your men gone?" Salene enquired, Ebony's men cam to the Mall with her, but they had disappeared now.  
"Don't worry about them Salene, it's all part of my plan." Ebony smirked.  
The two jerked as three Technos managed to get up the stairs, so they tripped each of them up, and they rolled down the stairs.  
Ellie screamed as they dragged her down the stairs with them, she hit her head, and was knocked out.  
"Okay! We have a young blonde hostage; if you want her back, give us Piper and Latisha, and the others, the traitors. Danni, Patsy and Aaliyah!" Jason told them, using Ellie as bait.  
"Ellie! You lay a finer on her!" Jack warned them. The other Mall Rats looked on at him curiously.  
Jack and Ellie were no longer together, but Jack was acting very strong towards  
Ellie. Did he still have feeling for her.  
"Young boy, you are in no position to be threatening us, all we want are our five tribe member back, and you get her back." Rider explained.  
"Okay, Rider, you want us back, then you can have me, but don't take the others.  
They're happy here, they don't wanna go back, it was because of one of you guys she left in the first place!" Danni shouted at them.  
"What do you mean, it was because of one of us?" Jason asked confused.  
"You mean the oh so faithful follower Jay didn't tell you. He raped Piper, and hit  
Latisha, is that good enough for you!" Danni told them, a bitter look on her face.  
"What? You're bluffing, I want to hear that from them please." Jason said confused, not sure whether or not to believe Danni.  
Piper and Latisha were hiding behind the wall, where they were listening to the whole thing.  
"Yes, it's true, and I don't wanna come back, none of us do. Jay terrified the two of us; Danni is leader of the Mall Rats now. And Aaliyah is just a kid, and Patsy, well she never done anything wrong!" Piper told them. They all looked her in amazement; none of them could believe what Jay had done. Piper then looked at the others on the grills, she spotted Lacey crying. "Lacey?" Piper wondered, as she wasn't sure if it really was her.  
"Piper, I know it's true, he hit me outside, practically threatened to kill you both, so I think it's best for you to stay." Lacey nodded. It broke her heart to say goodbye to two of her best friends like this, but she had to let them go. For there own safety, she had to, no one knew what Jay was capable of now. "Okay, Piper, Latisha, you can stay here, and the others can too, but if you ever change your mind, you know where we are." Jason said to them, calmly and sensibly.  
"Can you let the other out now please?" Rider asked politely.  
"Should I?" KC asked Lex.  
"Okay, we'll lift the back grill, it leads you out to the city, you can go home from there." Lex told them, as KC wound the back grill up, where they left the Mall.  
"I'm sorry for scaring you all, we never wanted to do any harm, sorry." Jason told them, and they all left.  
"Lacey!" Piper cried, as she ran down the stairs where Lacey stood in tears glancing at her. "You don't have to go back, stay here with us, and then we won't be apart." Piper told her, trying not to cry. Lacey raised her hand against the grill, where she poked her fingers through. Lacey sniffed, and put her hand against Piper's, smiling.  
"I'm sorry, I want us to stay friends, and stay with each other, but I can't leave  
The Technos, I have to see justice is done, for you and Latisha, goodbye Piper."  
Lacey cried, and walked from the Mall. Piper slid to the ground, and cried as she watched Lacey leave her sight.  
"Someone help me with Elle." Tai-San asked, lifting her up, as she started to come round.  
"Well, at least that wasn't as bad as the time Tribe Circus attacked!" Trudy said, as a sigh of relief.  
"Piper, hey, was that Lacey from home?" Ebony asked as she accompanied her sister up the stairs where they sat and talked.  
Piper nodded. "Why didn't she join us? She's staying with those creeps, she doesn't wanna stay with us and be safe, it doesn't make any sense." Piper cried.  
"It's not your fault, come on, let's go get Latisha." Ebony told her.  
Suddenly there was a scream from one of the rooms, where Amber stood gazing into the empty cradles where Ella and Will had disappeared.

"Guys! Come quick, on the camera! It's that Jay guy, he's got the others!" Jack told them as he returned to his room, and spotted the guys on the camera.  
"He's got the twins, and Patsy and Latisha." Salene said, as she glanced onto the fuzzy TV screen.  
"What! Where are my babies, who's got them, where are they!" Amber demanded, as she ran to the camera. She reached out and out her hand onto the screen. "Come on, mommy's waiting for you, come on, come back." Amber said softly. "You let them take my babies! They have my babies!" Amber screamed, hitting Pride, who was standing by her.  
"Amber, calm down, we'll get them back. Come on, let's go have a talk." Pride told her, calming her a little. "May, if you don't mind, can I talk with her alone?"  
Pride asked as May was about to follow.  
"Of course." May replied, he knew how much Amber meant to him.  
"Look's like you're losing him." Jet laughed.  
"Shut up Jet, look, we have to get them back, but I think it's best to wait awhile." Lex said to them.  
"Wait a little? Wait a little! But he could do anything to those babies, we can't wait any longer. If we go now, we'll catch him before he gets back to the  
Stadium." Trudy said.  
"No, no, oh no! He won't go back to the stadium, we have to get him now, or we won't find him again!" Piper said to them.  
"Brady, Cloe, where are they? They weren't on the camera!" Trudy realized. She ran to the room, where she couldn't see any of the two, then she spotted Brady on the ground beside the bed, asleep. Then she edged back, as she saw a hand sticking out of the cupboard.  
"Someone, come here!" Trudy screamed.  
KC ran to the room, where he opened the cupboard, and looked in shock as Cloe sat curled in the back, not moving...or breathing!

"You killed Cloe! You killed her! Get off me! No! Leave me alone! Murderer!" Patsy screamed as Jay squeezed her arm so tight she almost collapsed.  
"Leave her!" Latisha screamed.  
"Shut up! Both of you! Just shut up, or Cloe won't be the only one your friends will be burying!" Jay warned them.  
Patsy edged back, walking with Latisha who was carrying Ella in her arms, while Jay held Will.  
"You're holding him wrong." Patsy told him, trying to sound calm.  
"You think I care!" Jay told her. "I only wanted Latisha and Aaliyah, I never wanted these god damn brats, but now it's even better, I don't have Aaliyah, but I have Latisha, and two little babies, which I'm sure will be wanted quickly back!"  
Jay grinned self-satisfied.  
"Look, where are we going?" Latisha asked.  
"Hope Island." Jay smiled, as they headed for the beach.

Okay, I have been writing write a lot on this story, "Whispers from the Past" but  
Christmas is getting closer! So unfortunately, I might not be able to write as much, but I promise to do my best!

"Cloe! Cloe, come on, breathe!" Pride said to her, as she lay, still not breathing, trying to resuscitate her.  
"If she dies, I swear I'll kill him!" Salene said, Ryan holding her close, as she stood crying watching Pride trying to save her.  
"I don't think there's anything else we can do Salene." Pride told her. "Sorry."  
He said, a saddened look on his face.  
"No! Keep trying, she's strong, she'll make it!" Salene told him. She then moved from Ryan, and tried to revive Cloe herself.  
"Sal, it's no use." Ryan shook his head, and Pride lifted the blanket over Cloe's face.  
"Salene, they'll pay for this, I swear they will." Ryan told her, a tear trickling down his cheek. Salene loved Cloe like one of her own, now Jay had killed her, and there was no way to bring her back.  
Ellie came round the corner. "She's gone isn't she." She asked them sighing. Pride nodded, looking at Cloe's body. "It's all my fault you know, if I hadn't fell down those stairs, then you would have realized Jay was in there, taking them others."  
Ellie cried, a feeling of guilt in her heart.  
"No, Ellie, we were all making noise, before you were taken, there wasn't anyway we would have heard him. Don't blame yourself." Salene smiled.  
"I guess so, look, I found Aaliyah, she's pretty shaken up, hiding in the sewers.  
Salene, you're the best with kids, no offence Trudy, I think you should go check on her." Ellie told her.  
"Okay, Ryan, come with me, please." Salene asked, taking his hand as they went to locate Aaliyah.  
"I can't believe that someone could be so cold hearted, Cloe was only a child. She had been through so much, no one deserves that." May sniffed.  
"Yeah, as soon as we track him down, he'll pay, I promise, and he won't escape, not like the Guardian did, I'll make sure of that." Pride told her, as she walked up and hugged him.  
"I'm gonna go talk to Jack." Ellie told them, walking away from Pride and May, who were hugging each other close.

"Ellie, hey, are you okay?" Jack asked as he spotted Ellie entering his room. She looked at him sadly, and started to cry. "Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked her. He thought to himself for a minute. "Oh no, Cloe's dead isn't she?" Jack asked swallowing hard. Ellie nodded, and fell into Jack's arms.  
"And it's all may fault, if I didn't let them take me, you guys would have heard Jay taking them, but instead you were all worrying over me. She was just a kid Jack; she was barely a teenager. She lived through the death of her parents, the virus, the Chosen, thought Patsy was dead, and this is how her life ended! All because of me!" Ellie told him, hiding her face on his shoulder, crying quietly.  
"No! No, Ellie, who said it was your fault?" Jack asked, standing her facing him.  
"No one." Ellie replied slowly.  
"Yeah, because they all know that Cloe's death was no one's fault, just that psychotic Technos who was obsessed by his tribe. Okay?" Jack tried to explain to her, the best he could.  
"Yeah, thanks by the way." Ellie told him.  
Jack frowned, "What for?" he asked, wondering what he had to be thankful for.  
"When they took me, you stood up for me, May told me. Why?" Ellie wondered.  
"Well, I, Ellie, I still" Jack was about to say something, which caught Ellie's ear. Then he decided that was the last thing she needed to hear right now. "Ellie,  
I think that we should look out for each other, you're a Mall Rat, I was just protecting my tribe members, you know, and you're a great friend, okay." Jack smiled, the truth hurting him so bad as he couldn't bring himself to tell Ellie how he really felt.  
"Friend? I'm a good friend, right. Of course, well thanks, I'll see you at dinner." Ellie smiled, turning to the door. She hesitated; she wanted to say something to Jack. But she thought about it, then bit her bottom lip. And walked away. Jack's eyes followed her, until he couldn't see her; a tear trickled down his cheek. She was the one who made me leave in the first place, how can I still feel for her? Jack thought to himself, shaking his head, then began to fiddle with the radio again.

Salene and Ryan were wandering the sewers, crying out Aaliyah's name. "It's okay, it's only Salene, and Ryan, we just wanna talk to you. The Technos are gone, you've nothing to be scared of." Salene whispered.  
"Look." Ryan pointed to a shadow round the corner, reflecting in the murky waters.  
"Please, don't hurt me, I don't wanna go back, I just wanna stay here, I like it hear, you are nice people. Please don't hurt me." Aaliyah cried softly, hiding her face as she saw Salene and Ryan coming round the corner.  
"We're not gonna hurt you. The Techno's have left, and that man Jay's gone too. Come on, we just wanna take you back inside, and get something to eat." Salene smiled, holding out her hand, waiting for Aaliyah to take hold of it. Aaliyah looked into her eyes, wondering whether it was safe to trust her. Salene nodded, and Aaliyah took her hand, then smiled slightly.  
"Is Latisha okay?" She asked, as Salene lifted her up, Ryan petting her head.  
"Aaliyah, Jay took Latisha with him. But it's okay, because we're gonna get her back, okay. He took one of my friends away with him too, so we're gonna get all of them back, okay?" Salene explained, trying not to worry Aaliyah.  
"Yeah, we'll all go and look for them, them bring Latisha back to you." Ryan smiled at her.  
"Okay, but he can't hurt her, or I'll kick him. He's a bad man, no one likes him, he's always been a weirdo." Aaliyah frowned.  
"Yeah, a very bad man. So we'll go get some sweeties, and then try to fine your friend okay?" Ryan said to her.  
"Yeah!" Aaliyah smiled happily. "I like you,. Your like my mommy, so nice and sweet, and she always gave me sweeties too!" Aaliyah smiled at Salene, and kissed her on the cheek.  
"Hanks." Salene said, but didn't smile, as what Aaliyah just said, reminded her about when she was pregnant, and used looked after Brady.

"You mean you haven't told them yet?" Piper asked Ebony, as they sat on one of the beds alone, talking about how Ebony was in charge of the city.  
"I can't. If I do, they'll blame me and say that I'm up to something." Ebony explained to her. "Anyway, these Technos seem pretty strong, once they are in charge, what's the point on me leading the city. I'm not going back to that hotel, not while those crowds are there." Ebony added.  
"But they'll find out sooner or later, there's no point on not telling them. If you don't go back to the hotel, or arrange meetings and so on, then it's gonna be kinda obvious." Piper told her.  
"Okay, I'll tell them, but they've just lost one of their good friends, let all this pass, and I'll tell them." Ebony agreed. Turning away from her sister. How was she gonna get power now? The only way would be to join the Technos, but is it all really worth loosing her family for?  
"Yeah, I heard Jay killed her. He'll pay you know. This tribe seems pretty strong, I'm sure they'll track down Jay soon, and then Latisha will be back here, and the their there." Piper tried to think positive. She was hurting inside though. She had lost Lacey, her oldest, best friend to the Technos. And Jay had taken her little sister hostage. While Ebony was loosing it, she had no power, and the Mall Rats were drifting apart.

"So you mean Piper and Latisha want to stay with the Mall Rats?" Zoot asked.  
"Yes, and the prisoners, Danni, Patsy and Aaliyah refused to budge, we didn't want to cause any trouble." Jason told him.  
"Okay, where's Jay?" Zoot asked, looking around the room.  
"He attacked Lacey, went all violent, we sent him back here, hasn't he came back?"  
Rider replied, puzzled.  
"He's probably sulking in his room, he'll come out later. You know what he's like about fights, always wanting some action!" Zoot laughed. "Lacey, you seem quite."  
"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind Zoot." Lacey replied.  
"Well I hope it won't affect your work. And I know how much good friends you and Piper are." Zoot told her.  
"Um, were. I told her it was pointless being friends, when I'm here, and she's with those Mall rats." Lacey explained to him.  
"I see, good, well, the Mall Rats seem to be quite a problem for us. But never the less, we can handle them. I just want to remind you all, no one must know that I am alive! If word gets out, then there will be trouble, and war will begin, that none of us will be able to win. Just pray Piper and Latisha don't blab." Zoot warned them all. "You may go now." He added, and sat in his chair, swinging around, trying to think.  
"Zoot, may I have a word, in private please." Jason asked, as the others left the room.  
"Very well, but be quick." Zoot agreed, as Jason took a seat.  
"Lacey is a very loyal follower, I witnessed that today. But I think we should keep a close eye on her. Like you said, she and Piper were good friends, there's nothing to stop them meeting secretly." Jason told him.  
"Yes, I agree. So what do you suggest we do?" Zoot asked him curiously.  
"Me?" Jason asked surprised, Zoot normally organize everything. Zoot nodded, and  
Jason thought to himself. " Well, when the adults were around, there were some religious groups who had arranged marriages, and some had strong penalties for disagreement, or betraying their partners." Jason thought, realizing what a great plan he had came up with.  
"Carry on." Zoot asked, he seemed very interested.  
"Well, arrange for Lacey to marry one of us, someone high up, within their rights. Like Rider, or Jay, or myself even." Jason smiled cunningly.  
"Yes, that is quite a good idea. Get Lacey to love you, then marry her she will remain loyal and we can use her to get Piper back!" Zoot said cunningly. "Okay, bring Lacey back here, and we will tell her the new law we have arranged." Zoot nodded, laughing. Jason left the room, gladness in his soul. He liked Lacey from the very moment he set eyes on her, this was perfect!

"Amber, I thought you might like some company." Danni said as she spotted Amber crying in her chair.  
"Um, okay, I guess I could thanks." Amber smiled, wiping her cheeks.  
"Jay's gone, he killed Cloe." Danni said in a tone of sadness. "Pride tried to save her, but it was no use, he hit her over the head, and she was knocked out."  
"What did we do to deserve this? He too my babies, kidnapped Patsy, and killed  
Cloe! Why is he doing this to us, to me?" Amber cried.  
"I don't know, I really don't know. But we're gonna bury Cloe soon, you coming?"  
Danni asked. "You and Cloe got on pretty well, I think she'd like for you to be there." Danni sniffed.  
"What? We can't bury her! Patsy has to be here! It's not right! And Bray should be there! We should all be!" Amber argued, not thinking straight.  
"Hey, hey, okay, I'm sorry. But we thought we could bury her with Bob, in the mountains. You don't have to come, but I just thought it'd be nice for us all to be there for her." Danni smiled.  
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. If it's what Cloe would want, then I guess I should go." Amber nodded, and Danni smiled back.  
"Amber, we'll get them back, we will." Danni told her, as she realized how much Amber was hurting over her babies.  
"No, no we won't. I never planned for any of this to happen. I never wanted a baby, especially not twins. I never expected Bray to leave. And now Cloe, this whole tribe is falling apart!" She continued crying.  
"But you love them don't you, they're Bray's babies, they need you." Danni told her.  
Amber's eyes opened more. "Bray's babies, of course. I should want them, for his sake. But I don't, I know I shouldn't talk like this, but I don't want the babies,  
I don't wanna see Bray again, I don't even wanna stay here! I was thinking about going back to the Eco-tribe, starting over again. I think it'd be best, for everyone if I did." Amber told her. Danni shook her head. Amber can't leave, the tribe needs her now, she can't leave again!

"Ebony wants this work done fast! We don't have all day! Now move it!" A strange woman ordered a group of people who were dressed in combat gear, building what looked to be some sort of bus-like vehicle.  
"We're going as fast as we can! Gees give us time!" One of them argued.  
"Don't you dare argue with me! I am not in the mood okay!" She yelled at the boy, who jumped back into line, and started painting the vehicle.  
"Zan! About time, any news from Ebony?" She asked as young boy came running over the hill.  
"No, not a whistle, she's hiding out in the mall just now, but she's not leader of the city anymore, the city tribes have said they can look after themselves." Zandra told her.  
"Great!" She sighed shaking her head. "Okay, well you have week left to finish this, Ebony wants it by Saturday, then we can begin."  
The vehicle was very long, like a bus with a car at the front, connected by a small truck. It was painted silver, with red patterns on it, and Ebony's name at the front.  
Zandra ran up to the woman, and gave her more news. "I didn't want the others to hear. There was an attack on the Mall, a young girl was killed. And Ebony has two sisters, Piper and Latisha. I don't think she'll be back with us right now, the Mall Rats seem to be falling apart!" He told her.  
"What! Sisters! And the young girls. Who was it, I mean how did she die?" The woman asked concerned.  
"Um, I dunno who it was, all I know is that she was quite young, and one of the  
Technos killed her, took another four hostage, one of them Ebony's sister,  
Latisha." Zan explained. "Why are you so concerned?" Zan puzzled. Then the woman shot a fiery look at him. "Oh! Off course, your sister's in the tribe. I am so sorry, look, I can go back, see where they're burying the body, see if it's her."  
"Thanks, I'm sure it won't be though." The woman tried to focus.  
"Don't worry, I'll find out who it is Alice." Zan replied.  
The woman who was leading the crowd was Alice! And she thought Ellie had been killed, why was she working with Ebony, and why isn't she with the Mall Rats?

"Lex, I think we should take Cloe's body now. It's not good for the rest of us, her soul laying restless in here." Tai-San told him, as she brushed her hair in their room.  
"Okay, I'll gather everyone in the caf, and we'll take her to the hills." Lex nodded, kissing her on the cheek, and left to get the others.  
"Hey! KC, where are you going?" Lex asked as he saw KC leaving through the grills.  
"Nothing, I was just going out for a bit, that's all." KC told him, but Lex knew he was lying.  
"Okay, well come up here, we're gonna bury Cloe. You coming?" Lex asked, as he looked puzzled at KC who looked as if he had been crying.  
"No!" KC snapped back. "Funeral's aren't my thing, I'm gonna go to the casino, I haven't saw those guys in ages." KC lied again. Lex frowned.  
"Okay, well don't be gone too long." He told him as KC left the Mall.  
"Lex, I put Cloe in one of the old carts, are we gonna go bury her now?" Pride asked as he approached Lex.  
"Thanks, and yeah, we'll take her to the hills, we buried our old dog their, Cloe would like that." Lex smiled, as he took the metal poll and clicked it against the railings, causing the others to appear.

The Mall Rats walked up the through the hills, Jack leading the way using his map.  
The sun was bright today, and it was very hot! All of the Mall Rats were at the funeral, except KC, who was still at the casino.  
"Okay, it's just over there. I mean that's where we buried Bob." Jack pointed, to two trees forming an arch, led through to Bob's grave.  
"Oh no." Trudy shook her head.  
All of the Mall Rats looked on in disgust to find the grave had been ruined, and looked to have been dug up.  
"Is this really the best place for her?" May wondered.  
"I think, if we just dig up Bob's grave, we can put her down there, only, we can't leave any markings, we can't risk any attention." Danni nodded. Ryan, Zeke and Lex started to dig, trying not to disturb the wildlife, or Bob, who had been there for quite some time now.  
"I don't think I can go through with this, I mean, burying Cloe, so soon after  
Bray, and the twins." Amber sighed, shaking her head.  
"Amber, you don't have to, go back to the mall, and rest, we won't be long." May told her, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Pride will go back with you, I'll stay, give you guys time to talk." May nodded, smiling at Amber.  
"Okay, thanks May, you've been so good to me, through all of this, and I don't deserve any of it." Amber told her.  
"Nonsense, what are friends for, now go on, we'll tell you how it went, go!" May smiled, as Pride took Amber and they headed back to the Mall.  
"Oh you really are one slow chicken aren't you? As soon as they get back to that  
Mall, they'll be all over each other!" Jet shook her head, smiling stupidly.  
"Shut it Jet, you didn't even know Cloe, why don't you go back to the Mall with them!" May told her bag.  
"And walk in on something, how should I put it, not very attractive? I don't think so." Jet laughed.  
May looked at Pride, then at Amber. Amber wouldn't do that to her, they were friends, friends don't do that, and she loves Bray now, so she wouldn't, neither would he. May thought to herself, trying not to let Jet get to her.

"Hey Rikki, how you been? Haven't saw you here in a while!" KC smiled at his old friends who he stole a ring from for Ryan's wedding.  
"KC, oh yeah, you stole my grandmother's ring." Rikki smiled back. "You got it back?"  
"Um, no, you see, I gave it to a friend to give to his wife for a wedding ring, so it's kinda gone now." KC explained.  
"So, what you doing here? The usual is it?" Rikki nodded.  
"Yeah, look, you haven't seen Billy Boy lately have you?" KC asked.  
Rikki was shaking a bottle of blue liquid, which had Blue Bru written on it. "No, he doesn't come in much, ever since Top Hat took this place back, there hasn't been much of the Jackals, except the Smile, they come in a lot." Rikki told him, handing him the bottle of Blue Bru which she had popped open.  
"Ah, Top Hat? As in Tribe Circus Top Hat?" KC asked stuttering.  
"No, as in the man who stole Dumbo at the circus!" Rikki rolled her eyes. "Well unless there's another Top Hat around, then you are one dumb ass!" Rikki laughed.  
"Got anything to gamble?" Rikki enquired, as KC was always up for a bit of gambling.  
"No, I didn't have any time to collect anything, you know Cloe, well she's dead, the others are burying her, I didn't wanna go, funerals are always boring, a waste of time I think." KC told her, taking a long drink of his Blue Bru.  
"Yeah, when they buried my parents after the virus, I didn't go, didn't see a point, my parents never liked me anyway, all they cared about was their stupid divorce, and my dad hit me. So I didn't even cry when they died." Rikki told him, taking another bottle for herself.  
"No way! My dad did the same, he was always blaming me for all the mistakes he made, or if my mom was upset, then that was my fault too. Parents huh, who needs 'em!" KC laughed.  
Rikki smiled, and looked into his eyes, then someone called her name.  
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." Rikki told him politely as a boy stood at the other end of the bar waiting to be served.  
"One Circus Bonanza please." The boy said, about fourteen years old.  
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to give that to anyone unless they're a member of Tribe  
Circus." Rikki told the boy.  
"Yeah, well who's gonna know?" The kid asked, getting angry, he was upset about something.  
"Sorry, want a Blue Bru instead, I hear they're pretty good." Rikki offered.  
"I said I want a Bonanza, not a god damn Blue Bru!" The boy yelled at her, grabbing her arm. "I'm not in the mood for stupid kids arguing with me, now get me  
a Bonanza!"  
"Rikki, need a hand?" KC shouted over, looking curiously at the boy.  
"No, I can handle it KC, thanks." Rikki told him. "Look, how about I give you a  
Blue Bru, and out a drop of Bonanza in it? That's the best I can do." Rikki told him, trying to come to some sort of an agreement.  
"Whatever." He said.  
Rikki handed him a Blue Bru, mixed with Bonanza, and then went back to KC. "Gees, some guys go crazy for drink!" She shook her head laughing. "Oh, no offence though!" She said to KC.  
"That's okay none taken." KC said, smiling into her eyes.

"Pride, about before, I didn't mean..." Amber tried to explain, but Pride interrupted as they walked up the Mall stairs.  
"Amber, it's okay, you were just upset, I know you didn't mean it." Pride told her, smiling.  
"Good, as long as it didn't confuse you, or give you the wrong idea." Amber smiled back.  
Amber sat at one of the tables, and stared deeply into Pride's face, as he took out a bottle of Coke.  
"Thanks." Amber said, as he poured some into a cup for her. He handed the cup to her, when Amber took his hand. "Maybe I did mean it." She told him, smiling into his eyes.  
"Amber, I don't..." Pride tried to tell her. But she just pulled him to her, and kissed him, properly this time. Pride pulled away, and looked shocked at Amber.  
"No! This isn't right, you've got kids now, and I'm with May, I'm sorry Amber." Pride explained.  
"All I want is for someone to love me, you know, like I love them. Pride, I love you, I always have." Amber told him.  
Pride was shocked, why hadn't she said anything before.  
"But Bray, I thought you loved him." Pride asked, now he was very confused!  
"I hadn't saw Bray in almost a year, I didn't know how I felt, I just wanted to explore." Amber told him.  
"Exactly, and that's what you're doing to me right now, exploring, you love Bray, Amber, and don't say you don't, you chose him over me. You've got kids with him, and I love May, I'm sorry." Pride apologized.  
"What? So you're saying that because I have kids, you don't want me!?" Amber screamed. "You, Bray, Sasha, you're all the same! As soon as there's trouble, you leave! I'm just a lonely, confused teenager, with no one who loves me, and babies that I don't even know are alive or dead! Gees, what's wrong with me!" Amber cried, running to her room.  
"Amber, nothing's wrong with you, you're just confused, like you said, and hurt.  
But we're all here for you, all your friends, we're here." Pride shouted to her.  
Friends, Amber thought to herself as she wept into her pillow, friends don't love you like family can.

"It was beautiful wasn't it." Ellie said to Jack, as the rest of the Mall Rats walked on in front. They had buried Cloe, and said a few words. Jay had killed Cloe in cold blood, for no reason, and he was going to pay.  
"Yeah, it was, I just can't believe she's gone!" Jack said to her. "It wasn't like Cloe and I were best friends or anything, but remember when she and Patsy were chasing after Dal, and me a tone point! And they had that "snog log" with KC! She was always so, I dunno, so innocent I guess. She was the youngest of us, her and Patsy, always looking after the animals, getting into trouble, she even ran away a few times!" Jack laughed, remembering Cloe for who she used to be.  
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean, Bob died, then Dal, Alice has disappeared, and now Cloe's dead." Ellie sighed.  
"Didn't the virus cause enough pain, did they have to keep killing all those innocent kids. Zandra, Glen, Dal, Cloe. And then Paul, Alice, Sasha, all left.  
What an exciting tribe we have!" Jack said sarcastically.  
"At least we still have each other, and right now, that's the most important thing." Ellie smiled, and leaned onto jack, the two walked arm in arm catching up with the others.

"What? This is absurd! I will not do this! Since when has there been a rule that you chose who we marry?" Lacey screamed, leaning over Zoot's desk, shouting in his face.  
"Excuse me, if you don't mind moving away from my face!" Zoot asked, a sarcastically "sweet" voice.  
"I am not marrying Jason, not when I don't love him, I don't even know him. I would sooner die myself than be sacrificed to marrying some power-crazed stranger that loves to be in charge!" Lacey argued back.  
"I'm sorry Lacey, you are our most loyal female follower, and we need you to marry Jason to secure our power, okay?" Zoot explained.  
"Do I have a choice?" Lacey asked furiously.  
"Yeah, you can marry tomorrow, or the next day." Zoot smiled.  
"Gees, lucky me!" Lacey shook her head back.  
"My pleasure, Jason's waiting in your room, he has a romantic dinner waiting for you." Zoot smiled at her. "Close the door on your way out please."  
"Marriage? To Jason? This was his idea I guess." Rider said, he had been hiding behind the door, listening to the whole thing.  
"Well, Jason like Lacey a lot, and if it stops her from talking to Piper, then I'm okay with the whole thing." Zoot told him, as he watched a spider crawl across his desk, then squished it.  
"But why marry Jason? Why not you, or I, or another Techno?" Rider queried.  
"Look I don't have time to discuss every detail, she's marrying Jason, and that's the last I'm saying of it." Zoot told him.  
"Sure." Rider replied, wondering what was really going on, then he left the room, stopping outside the door. He couldn't let this wedding go ahead, he had to get  
Lacey away, and stop Jason's plan going ahead.

"Amber, Pride. We're back." Trudy shouted as they got back to the Mall.  
"Oh, hey, keep it down, Amber just got to sleep." Pride smiled as he peeked over to see who it was.  
"Oh, sorry. I hope you have a good meal ready for us!" Lex laughed.  
"Only the best." Pride smiled. "Hey." He said as May went up and kissed his cheek.  
"Pride it smells great, what is it?" May asked as she wandered into the kitchen.  
"Vegetable soup and fish for afterwards." Pride told her, as the others looked on amazed at the table which lay waiting fore them, all laid out perfectly in food and utensils. He then looked at Trudy. "Don't worry, I made an extra helping of soup for the vegetarians." He laughed.  
"I'm starving!" Salene moaned, and was the first to sit at the table.  
"Well dig in, I've got a big treat for desert." Pride told the, taking a seat next to May, with Zeke at the other side.  
"What is it?" Danni asked, taking a sip from the soup.  
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise would it!" Pride replied. "So, how did the funeral go?"  
"It was great, perfect. It's just a shame Patsy wasn't there." Trudy replied, dropping her spoon into her bowl. "How's she gonna react when she finds out?" She shook her head.  
"I know, But Cloe wouldn't wanna see us all upset over her, so let's try and forget it, just for tonight." Tai-San smiled, trying to cheer the others up.  
"A toast, to Cloe, and all the others we've lost." Lex raised his glass.  
"Too Cloe!" They all cried out in unison, then started slurping the soup.

"How long you open for?" KC asked Rikki, he had been in the casino for almost three hours now, downing glasses of Blue Bru, although it was a non alcoholic drink, the way KC was acting, you'd think it was!  
"We're open all night, I'm leaving at one though, well I'm not leaving, just finishing work." Rikki told him, her arms sprawled across the bar, exhausted.  
"So what about you CJ, when you leaving?" KC asked a boy who was standing beside him. It was the same boy that was hassling Rikki before, but he had clamed down now.  
"Soon, I'm getting tired, and it's starting to get busy, too many older kids for me." CJ told him, finishing another bottle of Blue Bru, this time without alcohol!  
"So, what tribe you with?" Rikki asked CJ, she had never seen him before, and was curious about what he was like.  
"I'm not with any tribe, I don't see any point." CJ replied. "I just hang out in the streets, move from bar to bar, sewer to sewer."  
"That's kinda risky don't you think, especially with this new tribe in town." KC wondered.  
"I guess, but I can handle them, I survived the Chosen, I don't see why these guys should be any different." CJ thought, stirring his empty glass with a spiky red rod.  
"I shouldn't say anything, but these guys are way different. You know I told you about Cloe being killed, it was one of them that did it. They raped this other chick, who's staying with us just now." KC told them, whispering as they all huddled together, so no one could here them.  
"Seriously?" Rikki asked, eyes wide in shock.  
"Yup, and wanna know something else. Ebony has three sisters, well two really, and no one even knew, the chick that was raped, she'' one of them!" KC told them, he loved gossip, especially if it made him popular.  
"Rikki! I got cover, you can stop now if you want!" A man shouted round to her.  
"Okay thanks." Rikki said, untying her apron-like uniform, and leaving the bar.  
"At last! So you guys wanna grab a table?" She asked, guiding them to an empty corner table, where they each sat and gossiped.

So Alice is alive! She's working for Ebony building a strange vehicle, outside the city. But why isn't she with the Mall Rats and her sister? Cloe is dead, no thanks to Jay, and has been buried next to Bob the Dog. Patsy, Ella, Will and Latisha have been kidnapped by Jay. KC has made new friends at the bar, Rikki and CJ. Amber tried to kiss Pride again! It doesn't look like Ebony will be leader of the city for much longer. And Jason has came up with some crazed idea that he and Lacey should get married, so she doesn't blab to Piper about the goings on of the Technos. Is Jason just as loony as Jay? Or is he one of these guys who do anything for a woman to love them? Zoot has for some reason, agreed to this! And Rider has now found out, and is determined to put a stop to it, and save his friend from Jason. Jay is taking the hostages to Hope Island, so he can be with the Chosen, but why would he want to do that? Amber is thinking about going back to the Eco Tribe, but she can't be serious can she? She must have some feelings for her babies, and what if Bray was to come back, what would he say? Then there's Pride, he told May he loved her, but it could just be that he doesn't wanna hurt her, and is to proud to do that.

"Look Jay, you only wanted Piper and I back, why take these kids? The babies are new born, how are they expected to live without their mother? Jay, listen to me! If you wanna take hostages, take me, let Patsy go, please!" Latisha tried to come to some sort of agreement.  
"Look! I don't think you are in any sort of position to be telling me what to or what not to do! Do you?" jay turned and snapped back at her, as he tried to start the engine of a rusted boat.  
"Besides, it's getting late, we'll never make it across. Can't we wait till morning?" Patsy asked, trying to stall him, gain time to try and escape.  
"Think of it this way, the sooner we get across, the more time we have until nightfall." Jay told them.  
Latisha and Patsy had been tied back to back, and were sitting on the beach, as  
Will and Ella lay on an old blanket, which Jay had found in the boat.  
"So, patsy isn't it. You know these Chosen guys better than I do, what are they like?" Latisha wondered, trying to make conversation.  
"Well, they worship Zoot, and they are completely obsessed by power and chaos.  
They took over the city, and stayed in our mall for quite a while. I believe in them for a bit, then went back to the Mall Rats, I started working as a spy, then I was caught. The Guardian sent me to the mines, then traded me as a slave to you guys. The Mall Rats thought I was dead. These guys are really serious, pretty scary too sometimes. If Jay gets us to Hope Island, I don't know if we'll ever get back." Patsy sighed, doing her best not to think the worst.

Night had fell, and KC was last in bed, he had spent most of the day at the bar with Rikki and CJ, but he fell asleep first. There wasn't a single sound coming from the Mall, everyone was asleep, even Amber! Then someone began moving in the shadows, heading for the opposite end of the Mall. Amber woke, and slipped her nightdress on; she was about to get out of bed, then gasped as she saw Pride standing in the doorway.  
"Pride, what are you doing here?" Amber puzzled, it was the middle of the night, and no one else was up. "Is there something wrong?"  
"No, nothing wrong, I just had to see you. You were right, I do love you, and I always have, always will. But ever since Bray came back, I thought I'd blown all my chances. But when you kissed me at the park, I realized it wasn't May I wanted, it's you Amber, you." Pride told her as she stood in shock staring at him.  
"Pride..." Amber tried to say something.  
But she was too late, Pride had entered her room, and put has arms on her face, brushing away her hair. He gazed deeply into her eyes, and went to kiss her. He pecked her neck, and then moved back.  
"Pride, look I don't think" Amber tried to finish her sentence.  
Pride wasn't listening; he sat Amber on the bed, and slid her sleeves down. Amber lifted them back up, but Pride continued to kiss her. She moved back, Pride thinking he meant they should lie down, so he lay on top of her, and kissed her.  
"Pride!" Amber whispered, loudly.  
"What's wrong with you, one minute you're all over me, the next you're telling me to get lost!" Pride puzzled.  
"I was alone, confused. I'm sorry Pride, I can't be with you, not when I still have feelings for Bray." Amber explained, moving away from Pride, who stood by her bed.  
"I never thought you were one of those guys. You know, maybe I'm better off with May, at least she doesn't try to be anything!" Pride shouted quietly, and stormed from the room, back to May.

Rider spotted Jason, about to enter Lacey's room, probably expecting Lacey to be all happy about the marriage, and wanting a night of passion or something!  
"Jason, hey, where you going?" Rider asked, trying to keep him from Lacey.  
"Just, um, checking everything is safe and secure." Jason nodded, he didn't want anyone to know about the wedding, unaware Rider already knew.  
"Well, it's all-okay down that end, so what says we go for a drink in the warehouse?" Rider suggested, despite the fact he hated alcohol!  
"Well, I think I better go to bed actually." Jason lied.  
"Come on, you're resisting a drink! I mean I dunno you that well, but I don know you like a good few drinks!" Rider laughed.  
"Okay then, you've twisted my arm!" Jason sighed, thinking to himself. How was he gonna see Lacey before the wedding now?  
"So, what do you think about this whole Piper-Lacey-Latisha thing?" Rider asked, trying to get Jason to spill.  
"Latisha, Piper, Lacey? Um I haven't really thought about it. You?" Jason lied, not wanting to say anything that might sound suspicious.  
"Don't say anything, but that Lacey's kinda hot!" Rider wound him up.  
"Lacey? I never thought about her that way. She's way out of our league anyway!"  
Jason laughed. "So, are we gonna get a few drinks down us or what?" He added, changing the subject.  
"Sure." Rider smiled, he was really annoying Jason. So he spent all night winding him up, but Jason was sneaky, he managed not to let slip any little detail about the marriage.

"I wonder how Latisha is." Piper thought, as she and Ebony spoke in their room.  
"Piper, it's best not to think about it, don't beat yourself up about it." Ebony told her, pulling her boot on, then lacing it up.  
"I can't help it. If I never came here, you guys wouldn't be in this mess, and Jay wouldn't have took Latisha like he did." Piper sighed.  
"Yeah, but if you never came here, you'd be stuck with that loony Jay, you said he raped you, do you really think it would be better if you never came here?" Ebony asked.  
"I suppose not, but that's not the point. That chick Amber ahs lost her twins, Cloe's dead, and Latisha' been kidnapped, and that other girl, Patsy. All because of me." Piper rolled her eyes.  
Ebony out her hand on her shoulder. "Look, let's go get some breakfast, then I'll show you around the city, take your mind of things." Ebony suggested.  
"Okay." Piper said, as she stood up, and walked into the Caf with Ebony.  
"KC, where were you last night?" Ebony asked as she saw KC, sitting alone, the only one in the Caf.  
"I was at the Bar, Tribe Circus area. Got talking to some guys." KC told her, as he munched on some cereal.  
"Tribe Circus!" Ebony snapped. "Don't you remember when they attacked this place?  
And you go hang out with some losers that hang downtown!" She snapped at him.  
"No, but Top Hat's gone, the Chosen wasted him, this other guy leads them, they've changed, I mean it. And the guys I was talking to, they're not even in the tribe, one of them works there, the other, he's new." KC explained, putting his bowl in the sink.  
"Aren't you gonna was that?" Piper questioned.  
"You can do it for me, I'm going to the Bar, see ya!" KC smiled, heading down the stairs.  
"Cheeky brat!" Piper laughed. She stood up, and began doing the dishes, which had been left over from the night before.  
"You don't have to do that." Ebony told her, making up a sandwich.  
"It's the least I can do." Piper replied, humming to herself.  
Ebony rolled her eyes; she couldn't believe how different they were from each other!

"So, you're with the Technos are you?" The Guardian asked as Jay introduced himself.  
"That's correct, but those guys are soft, I came here to tell you, that I think you guys could make a better go of corrupting the city, I have a few followers, who could join you." Jay told him.  
"Well, we have enough faithful followers as it is, but a few more wouldn't hurt, and you have hostages, bring them to me." The Guardian told him.  
Two guards brought Latisha and Patsy in, who were holding a twin each.  
"Well, well, a Mall Rat! Little Patsy, the spy!" The Guardian said, in an evil voice. He walked to Patsy, and squeezed her chin. "Nice to see you again!" He whispered in her ear. Latisha hugged Patsy, who was petrified. " So, how do I know you won't betray us Jay?" The Guardian walked over to Jay, concentrating on his face.  
"You don't, I could stab you in the back at any second, but then again, why bring these four as hostages if I was gonna do that?" Jay taunted.  
"Okay, guards, send for Luke, I want these five taken to a room of their own, while we discuss what's gonna happen." The Guardian ordered two of his guards. So, Jay has got the Guardian on his side, and Luke is alive, what's gonna be the Chosen's next move?

"Lex, I know how you felt about Zandra being pregnant, I couldn't face for you to go through something like that again." Tai-San shook her head; she brushed the blue feather in her fair, while Lex lay in bed.  
"But it wouldn't, that wouldn't happen again. I never loved Zandra, not properly.  
But when she told me she was pregnant, then died on Eagle Mountain, I realize what a jerk I had been to her, and it wouldn't be like that for us." Lex tried to explain to her.  
"So you're saying if I got pregnant, you'd love me more?" Tai-San turned to him, not sure what he meant.  
"No! That's the exact opposite. I mean, I love you Tai-San, from day one I did, not like Zandra. If we had a baby together, then I'd feel like I meant more to you than I do. If we had a child together, it would show people how we felt, that child would be a living breathing thing created by our love for each other." Lex told her, he took her hand, trying to convince her that it was a good idea.  
"I dunno Lex, I'll have to think about it. Starting a family is a big decision, just give me time okay?" Tai-San agreed.  
"Of course, time, yes, you can have all the time in the world, I'll catch you later.  
"Well where are you going?" Tai-San asked.  
"You'll see." Lex kissed her forehead and left.

"I'm fed up cooked inside this boring mall, anyone wanna go out with me?" Jet moaned as the others sat and had breakfast.  
"I'll go." May said, she and Pride hadn't been getting along lately, they needed space.  
"Anyone else?" Jet asked.  
"Might as well." Zeke told them, he stood up, and gave his bowl a quick wash.  
"Well where are you going?" Danni asked.  
"Just out, look don't worry, we'll be fine, bye." Jet smiled, and they headed down the mall stairs.  
They got outside, and wondered where they should go.  
"What about that new Bar, I hear it's great, KC goes to it." May told them.  
"KC? He's a kid, I am not going to some bar kids go to!" Jet laughed.  
"No, May's right, it is a good bar, Ryan and went there once. Come on Jet, if you don't like it we can always come back.  
"Okay, okay, but if it's a load of bull, I'm straight out!" Jet shook her head, and they walked side by side down the road.  
"So, Jet, it must seem pretty weird, being a Mall Rat, after having a tribe of your own." May said to her.  
"It was at first, but you guys are cool, I got used to it. And I'm sorry about before, I didn't know you, but I do now, and I'm sorry." Jet apologized, putting her hands in her pockets.  
"That's okay. So Zeke, we know quite a bit about you now, anyone special in you life?" May asked, trying to make conversation.  
"There was, the virus got her." Zeke told them, sadly.  
"Sorry, I didn't know." May replied.  
"How could you. Anyway, what about you two? Jet?" Zeke asked.  
"Still looking." She smiled, a flirty kinda smile at him.  
"Well, if you want my advice, stay single. Pride, he's a great guy, and amazing in bed! But I know he doesn't love me, he likes Amber. Always running after her, talks about her non-stop! God, it really bugs me sometimes you know!" May moaned.  
"I don't like that Amber, she comes all sweet and innocent, but inside, she's a complete stuck up cow, a bit of a slapper to if you ask me." Jet tutted.  
"Okay, I'm not sure about the slapper part, but the stuck-up cow bit, I agree with completely!" May laughed.  
"I don't know what you guys have against her. She seems okay." Zeke added.  
"You're a guy!" May laughed. "Come on, let's just get to the bar, and drink!" May added, they laughed, and headed through the streets to the bar.

"Ebony! I need a favor." Lex shouted as he managed to catch Ebony before she left for the Palace.  
"Lex, I have to get to the Palace." Ebony shook her head.  
"Just two minutes, okay, I really need your help." Lex pleaded.  
"Okay, make it quick! Ebony sighed.  
"Right, well, you know how Tai-San and I got married a few months back. Well Trudy married us, but she was with the Chosen, so I figured that means we're married under Zoot's world, or, well you know what I mean. So I need you to get me some things so I can marry Tai-San again." Lex told her.  
"Marry, again! Lex, correct me if I'm wrong, but won't that be the fourth time if you do this?" Ebony laughed.  
"What? No! The first time didn't work out, remember, Zandra and I were interrupted by you!" Lex shook his head. "But I need this stuff, it's a bunch of candles, and herbal stuff, Tai-San things. Can you get me it by next week?" Lex asked.  
"What do I get in return?" Ebony grinned.  
"Well, we'll arrange something, okay?" Lex asked, crossing his fingers.  
"Well, I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises okay." Ebony told him. She grabbed the lost of things from his hand, and headed out of the Mall.  
"Yes!" Lex cheered to himself. Then he went back up the stairs, to get something to eat.

"Trudy, I just wanna apologize for the other day." Amber said, as she paced around, rubbing her hands, trying to figure out how to say sorry to Trudy.  
"Trudy, look, I didn't mean. No! Trudy, about yesterday. This is useless! Trudy, what I said yesterday." Amber was getting frustrated; Trudy was her best friend, and she wasn't sure if she was angry with her or not. "Trudy!" Amber stuttered as Trudy entered the room.  
"Amber." Trudy rolled her eyes.  
"Look, I am so, so sorry abut the other day, I didn't mean any of it, I guess I was just confused." Amber blurted out; she felt like a complete idiot, that wasn't what she had wanted to say.  
"Amber, it's okay, I know. You're still upset over Bray, and well, things aren't great for you at the moment." Trudy said to her, smiling and sat on the bed beside her.  
"So, we're still friends." Amber frowned.  
"Off course!" Trudy laughed. "It's gonna take more than a few harsh words to split us up!" Trudy smiled.  
Amber laughed, then remembered what she had done with Pride.  
"What is it?" Trudy asked curiously.  
"I need to tell you something." Amber told her. "The other day, I kissed Pride, when I stormed from the Mall, we were alone,. And I kissed him. I don't know what came over me! I never wanted too. But when we came back to the Mall, when you guys were at Cloe's funeral, I did it again." Amber sighed, and bit her lower lip.  
"Oh, Amber!" Trudy sighed, then hugged her, as she tried not too cry.  
"Then the other night, he came into my room, no one else was awake, and he came onto me. I told him to stop, but he pushed me to the bed, he started doing stuff, and kissing me. Then is forced him away. I yelled at him, and he was so confused.  
"He attacked you? Amber if he did anything!" Trudy demanded.  
"No! No, he just got the wrong end of the stick. When I kissed him, he pushed me away, but then he came onto me. He was confused, he thought I wanted him, but I was confused at the time, I just wanted something to take my minds of things, and unfortunately for him, I chose Pride." Amber sighed.  
"Okay, well, you want me to explain to him?" Trudy asked.  
"No! Please, Trudy, promise me you won't say a thing!" Amber begged her. If May found out, I'd never forgive myself. Please Trudy." Amber pleaded.  
"Okay, okay, your secret's safe with me. You coming to breakfast?" Trudy told her.  
"Nah, maybe later, I'm just gonna stay with the twins right now." Amber replied.  
"Okay, you know where I am if you need me." Trudy smiled, then left cradling a tired Brady in her arms. Amber smiled back, then went to her babies who were slowly wakening up, in need of a nappy change!

"Hey KC, aren't those guys mall rats?" Rikki pondered as she served up a drink to a young man at the other end of the bar.  
KC spun around slowly, fingers crossed it wasn't, he had really had enough of them. Then his mouth dropped open sourly, it was May, Jet and Zeke. "Oh no." He moaned, and slouched down into the chair, burying his face into the sweaty palms of his chubby hands.  
"Yo KC!" May called as they approached the bar.  
"Um, hey May, what are you guys doing here?" KC tried not to make it too obvious "Heard this is where you hung out, thought we'd check it out." May told him, as  
Jet giggled, and flirted shyly with Zeke, who kept nodding of for seconds at a time.  
"So, aren't you gonna introduce us?" Jet threw herself over the bar, and looked into Rikki's eyes. Rikki edged back, the look on Jet's face made her realize she was a bout to barf!  
"Zeke, can you take her to the toilet!" KC ordered as Jet threw up all over the floor, almost getting them thrown out.  
"Are these friends of yours?" Rikki's boss asked, in a chilly evil tone, emerging slowly from the shadows.  
"No, no, um, they just came, I've never seen them before!" Rikki stuttered, trying not to land herself in trouble, or KC.  
"Well if they give you any more bother, let me know." He nodded, and traveled slowly into the back.  
"KC, I think you had better get them out, before you land us in any more trouble!"  
CJ suggested, trying to hold his breath as long as he could, as the stench of  
Jet's puke swallowed in the atmosphere.  
"Yeah, Zeke! Will you go, now!" KC shouted, he was getting really embarrassed, and if they didn't know any better, you'd think he had a crush on Rikki or something!  
"We'll go to the toilets, yeah, and you can find us when you're leaving." Zeke told him, a trembling voice, as he couldn't stop himself from laughing.  
"Spoil sport!" May stuck her tongue out at KC, then she and Zeke dragged Jet to the toilets where they all fell asleep one on top of the other.  
"I'm sick of them!" KC growled. He kicked the bar, making the glasses shake, then thumped into the stool.  
"KC, calm down, I don't wanna get you thrown out too!" Rikki opened her eyes wide, and warned KC.  
"Sorry, but I just get so fed up of them sometimes!" KC shook his head, and looked at the toilet door. He thought to himself, would it really be any better for him if he just left, stayed in the streets with CJ and Rikki? Well he'd never know unless he tried

"Luke!" Patsy cried as she spotted Luke in the room next to her. She and Latisha had been locked in an old cell-like room, with only a bed and a toilet! Ella and Will had been taken away, none of them knew what was gonna happen to them.  
"Patsy? What are you doing here?" Luke asked, he wasn't dead at all, the Chosen had imprisoned him.  
"Long story, but we all thought you left to work for Ebony. What are you doing with the Chosen?" Patsy asked, as she poked her head through the bars of the cage.  
"I don't know, I made the wrong choice. I realized how much I loved Ellie, but they wouldn't let me return. I tried to escape, but they caught me. Who is that?" He explained, then spotted Latisha sitting fidgety on the bed.  
"Latisha, Ebony's sister. Luke, what ere they gonna do to us?" Patsy asked starting to worry after seeing Luke chained up in a cell like he was.  
"I dunno, but believe me, we are safer here, I heard news that the city is gonna be destroyed, all the buildings torched, just a few survivors." Luke told her. Patsy looked horrified.  
"No! They can't! When!" Patsy cried back, and Latisha stood up, and walked over to her.  
"What?! But my family, the Mall rats, you mean they're all gonna be killed?"  
Latisha choked in disbelief.  
"I swear, I am not lying, I'm just saying what I've heard, the Techno's are gonna destroy the city, and whoever survives will be taken to become one of them." Luke told them.  
"Luke, please, you have to help us. What about the others? You don't want Ellie to die do you?" Patsy tried to convince him to help them escape.  
"Shh!" Latisha hushed them as she heard the Guardian shouting outside.  
"These children, are the children of Bray, the false leader, Zoot's evil brother. The one who tried to destroy us, and killed his own brother!" The Guardian told his few followers who were stood in a circle outside, surrounding a huge fire. "Tell me now, is there any reason they should survive a life in Zoot's world?" The Guardian asked them, and picked up Will, showing him to the Chosen, as Jay stood by him, then realized what the Guardian was doing.

"No!" Patsy screamed.  
"Patsy, what is it?" Luke wondered as her eyes filled up in tears.  
"They're gonna kill the babies!" Latisha told him, and fell to the bed in horror. No, not even the Guardian could be so cruel as to kill two innocent babies, could he?

"Rider, why do you wanna help me?" Lacey asked, as Rider told her what he planned to do.  
"You're a good person, Zoot and Jason have sinister plans, but I can't tell you what just now. I don't want you to be living a life like them." Rider told her, as they crept to ground level of the stadium.  
"Rider, I am really happy you're helping me. I don't wanna marry Jason, I don't even know him. But unless you tell me what is going on, then I will do it, believe me, I will." Lacey told him, as she was getting curious to what Rider meant by sinister.  
"Okay, when you get out of here, I want you to go to Piper and Latisha, and tell them to get out of the city. It isn't safe. Zoot is acting all kind, a changed man. But believe me, he is far from it! Jason is an ex-con, before the virus, he spent most of his life moving from prison to prison. He's an arsonist. Zoot I planning to burn this city to the ground, start from scratch in the power of the Technos. And any survivors will have the choice to join them, or be killed.  
Please, go, now!" Rider explained, practically begging her to go. They reached the fire exit, when Lacey's mouth dropped open in disgust.  
"Come with me, please." Lacey asked, as she realized he was telling the truth.  
"I can't. I have to stop this. Please Lacey, warn Piper and Latisha, then get out of here, I'll be okay. Now go." Rider reasoned with her. "Now!" He snapped.  
Lacey looked over his shoulder, and spotted Technos behind him, coming for her.  
She looked into Rider's eyes. "Why are you doing this?" She asked confused.  
"You're a friend, and I don't wanna see you hurt. Please Lacey, just go." Rider asked her, getting desperate.  
Lacey noticed the guards were getting closer, then she looked into his eyes again, and saw he was hurting, she moved closer, and kissed him passionately.  
Then the guards grabbed Rider, who kicked them away, buying time for Lacey to escape, she hesitated, then ran from the Stadium. She stopped, and looked back, and began to cry as Rider fell to the ground, and Jason began beating him violently.

"Zoot! Lacey escaped last night. She's gone." Jason stormed into Zoot's headquarters to tell him of their betrayal.  
"What?! How did this happen?" Zoot asked furiously.  
"Your so called loyal-follower Rider, he helped her, he's in the sewers now."  
Jason told him.  
"Okay, bring him to me, we can't wait any longer, begin the attack now." Zoot told him.  
"Now? But we're not ready." Jason told him.  
"If Lacey gets to those Mall Rats first, we might as well give up. Now I want every single Techno you can find, and split them to different sectors of the city, they I want every building in flames by tonight. Every building, including the Mall." Zoot sneered evilly.  
"Rider, what is to be done to him?" Jason wondered.  
"He'll be flogged in the central dome, gather everyone, we'll do it now, then the invasion begins." Zoot nodded, and took out a heavy silver uniform, and heavy-duty weapons. "Now the game begins." He smiled, and looked happily at a huge flare gun, where he said to himself, power and chaos.

Lacey stood outside the Phoenix Mall, where she looked up at the sign, and a graffiti marking that said Mall Rats. She remembered the attack, when she chose the Technos over her friends, and that caused the death of an innocent child, Cloe, and the kidnapping of her best friend by a mad man. Did she really want to go back in there? And face all those people who have lost two friends, Ebony a sister, and two newborns? She then remembered what Rider told her, the attack. She couldn't let them all die. They had already lost so many friends, this was the least she could do. She swapped her bag to her right shoulder, then walked round the side of the mall. She made her way up the fire escape stairs, and quietly opened the huge metal door. She looked around, but all she could see was emptiness, blue emptiness. She figured this must have been an area used by the Chosen when they lived here. She walked through the corridors, and then found herself standing beside the furniture store, where she saw they were still asleep.  
She moved slowly by the window, trying not to be seen. Then she had a look to see  
if Piper was there. Nope, no sign of Piper. She then stepped into another room, looked like it was a music store, where she saw Ebony lying on the bed, and Piper on the floor on a mattress beside the bed.  
"P Piper." She whispered, trying to distinguish if she was awake or not. Piper just moaned slightly, and then turned to face the bed. Lacey walked round, and crouched beside her, her knees cracking as she was moving so slow. She reached for Piper's shoulder, when Ebony reached out and grabbed her arm.  
"Can I help you?" Ebony asked looking into her eyes puzzled. "Lacey isn't it?" She remembered.  
Lacey nodded, and shuffled back to the wall, as Ebony got out of her bed, and walked up to her.  
"What are you doing here? I thought you wanted your tribe, not your friends."  
Ebony raised her eyebrows, wondering what had made her change her mind.  
"I have to talk to Piper, you're gonna be attacked. Please, trust me." Lacey swallowed hard, she cloud feel her heart jumping drastically in her chest, and her pulse racing in fright after Ebony had grabbed her.  
"If this is a trick" Ebony told her, but Lacey cut her short.  
"No, please, this is no trick, I have to talk to you. The Technos are coming to destroy your home, they want the city, and Zoot is leading them. Ebony's face lit up in shock. She couldn't possibly mean the Zoot that once led the Loco's and was her man could she?

The Guardian made his way to visit the prisoners, with Jay following behind.  
"So Guardian, the babies, what are you gonna do to them?" Jay asked, after last night, he thought the Guardian had intended on killing the twins.  
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not gonna kill them, just raise them under Zoot. They will be brought up to worship him, and loathe his parents." The Guardian told him cunningly, and then he looked over to Luke.  
"Good sleep?" Luke asked.  
"Very thank you." The Guardian replied, knowing Luke was just trying to be smart.  
"Get up!" He shouted, awakening Patsy and Latisha, who had been squashed into the narrow single bed for the whole night.  
"What are you gonna do to us?" Patsy asked, thinking back to the night before.  
"You killed Amber's babies, why?" Patsy asked softly, trying not to get all emotional.  
"Oh, the babies aren't dead, but they're not going back to the city, you two are, release them." The Guardian ordered one of his guards, who had been up all night watching over the prisoners.  
"No! I'm not leaving without the babies." Patsy told him.  
"I think you will, or you'll die." The Guardian smirked, and nodded at the guard to get some rest.  
"What about me?" Luke asked.  
"What about you? You are nothing to us, you can go too." The Guardian laughed.  
Luke's face lit up. He couldn't believe it. The Guardian was actually gonna let him go. He couldn't wait to see Ellie again.  
"There is a boat waiting, I'll see you by the coat in ten minutes." The Guardian told them, and walked away.  
"Latisha, we can't leave the babies here." Patsy told her.  
"I know, I know. Luke, do you have any idea where the Guardian could be hiding them?" Latisha asked, trying to come up with a plan.  
"Maybe, but we'll have to work fast." Luke told them, as they huddled together and discussed plans.

"Last night, Jason's fiance was sent away from us, and she has not yet returned.  
This man, Rider, made her go. He had feelings for Lacey, who was engaged to marry  
Jason, and he couldn't bear for them to be married, so he got rid of her. He will now be punished." Zoot told his people, as Rider was dragged onto the stage, his clothes in rags, and his body battered and bruised. The crowds hissed and booed as Rider stood helplessly in front of them.  
"Anything to say Rider?" Zoot asked him.  
"All I can say, is that the only mistake I ever made was not going with Lacey when  
I had the chance. Lacey, Piper and the others will be better of away from here.  
And so will you guys. I saved Lacey, from a marriage she never wanted, and a violent loser like Jason!" Rider shouted to them all, then coughed. Jason pulled his head up by the hair, and spat in his face, then kicked his stomach, winding him as he fell to his knees.  
"Kill him." Zoot whispered to Jason and two of his men, then walked of the stage as the crowds cheered.  
Rider tried to fight back, but he was to weak, Jason lay into him, pounding him in the face, bursting his nose, dislocating his jaw. His friends punched violently into his stomach, then Jason threw him off the stage, where the Technos jumped back, and laughed, each of them spitting on him as they left the stadium, to prepare for the invasion. Jason ordered two of his men to take Rider and dump him by the mall, where he would burn along with the city.

The other Mall Rats had now awoke, and Ebony told them what Lacey had told her, as  
Piper and Lacey re united alone.  
"If what Lacey has told us is true, which I think it is, then not only do we have a huge war on our hands, but our home is about to be destroyed, and Zoot is in charge." Ebony told them, trying to be rational and mature about things.  
"What are you saying, that we just get up and leave our home?" May laughed.  
"Yes! We have to get out of here, don't you see, if we leave now, and spy on the  
Technos, see if they do destroy the city, and is they don't, then we come back.  
But we have to go now, and then if this Mall is still standing by the time the invasion is over, we come back." Ebony tried to convince them.  
"We're Mall Rats, if the city is in trouble, the last thing we do is get up and leave at the first sign of trouble!" Trudy argued. Then KC ran up the stairs with Rikki and CJ, after he spent all night in the casino.  
"KC! Where have you been?" Pride asked as he leant on he knees, trying to get his breath back.  
"What is it, what's wrong?" Tai-San asked, as she saw the fear in his eyes.  
"The Technos, they're destroying the city, burning the whole place down, we have to get outta here." KC told them.  
"It's true." Danni realized. "Guys, we can't stay here now, he invasion has begun, we have to go!" Danni told them. They all agreed immediately, and gathered their things.  
"KC, how many of them?" Lex asked.  
"Too many. It looked like the whole tribe, twice as many kids than this city has altogether! We have to hurry." KC told him.  
"Well, how close to the mall were they?" Jack asked.  
"They were at the casino when I saw them, I ran back here, with those guys. They mean business. They're setting every building or heap of rubbish that crosses their path, and they're moving fast." KC told Jack, as he walked back to CJ, who was trying to keep Rikki calm.

Luke had led Patsy and Latisha to the Guardian's base, where they spotted Ella and  
Will with two guards.  
"Okay, here's the plan, Patsy, you grab the twins, I'll distract the guards,  
Latisha, you go to the boat, and wait for us, make up an excuse, we'll hid the baby in our bags, okay?" Luke nodded his head, and the others nodded back. Luke knocked on the window, causing the guards to look round, Latisha ran to the boat, while Luke led the Guards to the cell and trapped them inside. Patsy struggled to hold onto the babies, then she screamed as another guard spotted her, she ran out of the room, with only one baby in her grasp. She looked back, and saw she had left Will crying in the crib, but she couldn't go back now, she had to get to the boat, before the Guardian got her. Luke and Latisha were waiting, then Patsy jumped in, and comforted Ella, as Luke rowed hard, getting away as quick as he could. Latisha saw the Guardian approaching, and gave him a wave, as Patsy laughed, and lifted Ella to him. The Guardian looked on furiously, and ordered four guards to follow them. The Guards hopped into another boat, and began rowing behind them, they got about half way, when the boat began to sink, then the Guardian realized it was the one he had meant for the prisoners!

The Mall Rats all headed down the stairs, and left the building, as they had done when the virus struck, and they went to Eagle Mountain, but would they ever be back this time?  
"Going so soon?" A voice asked from behind the grills, then Amber screeched in shock as Zoot made an appearance.  
"Zoot?" Ebony frowned, looking at the face of the man who she had once loved.  
"Ah, Ebony, I wondered if I'd ever bump into you. Well you all might as well give up, the Technos are surrounding the mall, it'll be in flames very soon, Bray is outside, and Rider, they'll die too. Well, I just thought I'd say hi, so, bye I guess." Zoot smiled, and walked back outside, the others all froze in shock; they never thought that they'd be seeing him again!  
"Bray!" Amber cried in shock. Bray was still alive, but by the sound of things, not for much longer.  
"Come on guys, we can still make it, as soon as we get out of here, run, and keep running till your out of sight, we'll all meet up by the river, okay?" Danni told them. They all agreed, and prepared to make an escape.  
"What about Bray?" Amber asked.  
"And Rider." Lacey added.  
"Ryan and Zeke, we'll get them, okay?" Lex told them, they nodded. Then each of them fled the Mall, as Ryan spotted Bray and Rider, then they hauled them from the Mall.  
"Burn the place, and get them!" Zoot ordered. Jason took a match, and dropped it into the trail of petrol, which led slowly to the Mall, which in seconds was engrossed in flames! The Phoenix Mall was gone, and so was the city, but was this the end for the Mall Rats?

The Technos had finally got control of the city, and the tribes were all gone, into hiding for now at least. The flames had taken several weeks to die down, and already Zoot was making plans for the new buildings and tribes who would live in it. The Demon Dogz and Jackals had joined forces, and were currently hiding out at the beach, while the Mozzies and Tribe Circus were in the forest. The other tribes had scattered, all of them waiting for Ebony to call a meeting, but the Mall Rats weren't in any mood to be thinking of an attack. When they split up, and met by the river, several of them never arrived. Many of the city dwellers had made a bid for escape, but they were either trapped in the flames, or captured and taken as prisoners by the Technos. Patsy and Latisha had got back safely, with Luke and Ella in tow, but they hadn't yet found the Mall Rats. About five weeks had now gone by, and the few survivors had no idea on what to do next. The Mall Rats had decreased in population; the Technos had taken Ellie and Jack as prisoners. May, Pride and Salene were killed trying to escape, and Jet had left after the Gulls returned. Alice and the others who had been secretly working for Ebony, had all been captured, many if them killed, but Alice survived. So the remaining Mall Rats are; Ebony, Amber, Danni, Bray, Lex, Tai-San, KC, Ryan, Zeke, Trudy, Piper, Aaliyah and Brady. Patsy, Latisha, Luke and Ella were also Mall rats, but they were alone for now. Lacey, Rider, Rikki and CJ were with the Mall Rats, but not yet members. Jay and Zoot were still alive, kicking, and leading the Technos.  
Dee was leading the Mozzies, Billy Boy was leading the Jackals, Jet was leading the Gulls, Drazic was leading the Demon Dogz and Top Hat the Second was leading Tribe Circus (who had calmed down since the old days.). Jay and Guardian were planning to meet with Zoot and Jason at the Stadium. Baby Will was still alive, but in the grasp of the Chosen, would the Mall Rats ever see him again? Cloudy and Porky were still with the Mall Rats, but Trinket went missing. So for now, Whispers from the Past has the following characters; Ebony, Amber, Danni, Bray,  
Lex, Tai-San, KC, Ryan, Zeke, Trudy, Piper, Aaliyah, Brady, Patsy, Latisha, Luke,  
Ella, Lacey, Rider, Rikki, CJ, Jay, Zoot, Jason, Guardian, Drazic, Jet, Dee, Top  
Hat, Drazic and Billy Boy.

"I know that you are all grieving the loss of your friends, loved ones, but we have to face it now, we're on our own against these creeps, and unless we pull together, the other tribes are gonna break up, and we'll have no chance. So I'm calling a meeting, just the main tribes, Lex, Danni, are you guys willing to come along?" Ebony told them all.  
"Why me?" Lex asked. "You're city sheriff, and Danni is the leader of the Mall  
Rats. Please?" Ebony told him.  
"Sure." Danni agreed, and stood on her feet.  
"Sorry Tai-San, I need you to stay here and look after Bray and Rider and the others, okay." Ebony told her. Tia-San nodded her head. Bray and Rider were still pretty bad after their brutal confrontations with the Technos, but they were on the mend now.  
"City Sheriff, I don't think so." Lex laughed lightly.  
"Lex, are you gonna come or not?" Ebony asked him firmly.  
"Just go Lex, I'll; be fine." Tai-San assured him, then Ebony led them to the meeting at the old Houston House Estate. It was a hug house, one of the biggest around. Before the virus it was owned by an old woman named Hillary, and her toy boy husband, Brad. They were both dead now, and tribes had looted the house hundreds of times.

"Where is she?" Dee asked, as she paced around, making the other leaders nervous.  
"Dee! Sit down before you wear a whole in the carpet!" Jet snapped, as the patter of footsteps echoing in her mind was frustrating her.  
"She'll be here soon, just sit down will you!" Drazic told her, as he fiddled with the zipper on his tight silver outfit.  
"For god sake, don't you start!" Jet snapped, as he began making irritating zipping noises.  
"Don't you think that's a bit awkward?" Billy Boy told him. Drazic looked at him puzzled. "The outfit, it's silver, the Technos are silver." Billy Boy explained.  
"Yeah, well they copied my tribe, pack of losers that they are." Drazic moaned.  
"I'm going, the Technos could catch us hear at any minute, I'm not risking my neck for some stupid meeting. "Top Hat stood up, and headed for the door.  
"Yeah, see you guys later." Billy Boy told them, as he followed.  
"Where are you guys going?" Ebony smiled as Top Hat opened the door and she stood in the doorway. "Well, come on, let's talk business." Ebony took a seat, with Danni and Lex at each side of her, as they planned revenge.

About an hour had passed, and none of the leaders had yet came to an agreement.  
"Look, we have all lost friends and loved ones, like Ebony said, but unless we do something soon, we will never see them again. That is our city they've taken, do you really wanna loose it to a bunch of creeps who have been there all of two seconds?!" Danni tried to win them over, but they all had their own agendas, and none of them could agree with each other.  
"I agree with Ebony and Danni, all this fighting amongst ourselves is not gonna do anyone any good. If we continue fighting like this then we're letting The Technos win. I know some of you don't feel light fighting, why, because you lost people you loved? Well, the fact is, we all did, but there is nothing that we can do about it now. We have to pull together now, or never see our homes again. I mean how do we know that our homes aren't still up and standing? They can't have got all of the buildings, we come to an agreement here and now, or forget everything we worked so hard to build." Jet stood up and had her say, and she looked round at the other leaders, trying to convince them to unite against the Technos, for their own sakes if for nothing else. "I lost my tribe to these creeps once, but I got them back, and they went through hell fighting to get back to me, back to their tribe, do you want your tribes to leave you? Because believe me, they will, if you don't do something now, what's the point on being in a tribe? If they have no home, no food, no change of clothing, no leader that's willing to fight for their home. Do it for your tribe, our freedom, our city!" Jet cried out, getting louder as she came to the end of her speech. Lex and Ebony looked on in astonishment, they had never seen Jet like this before, Danni just looked at her and smiled, as if to say thank you. The other leaders muttered between themselves, then eventually began nodding their heads and cheering.  
"I'll fight, for the city, for my people!" Dee cried smiling.  
The other leaders eventually agreed one by one, and plans for justice had begun!

"Patsy, if the Mall Rats are alive, we'll find them, but they are not in the city! We can't go back there, you saw the Technos, they're in control now, face it, we're on our own, until we can find one of the tribe leaders, we're alone." Latisha told her as Patsy sat going on and on about finding her tribe.  
"Hey! Guys! Word just in, the leaders are planning an attack, the tribes are uniting!" Luke cried as he ran over the hill towards them.  
"What?! Well Luke, that's great, when? Where?" Patsy stuttered out in excitement.  
"Soon, they're at the old mansion now, I spoke to one of the gulls just now, Lex and Ebony are there, and Danni. If we go, we'll get them in time, this is our one chance to find the Mall rats." Luke smiled at them, and thought to himself, he couldn't wait to see Ellie again. But he was in for a shock when he realized she had gone.  
"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" Latisha smiled, and stood by Luke, Patsy close behind, carrying a hungry Ella in her arms.  
"We better hurry, there's no milk left, and Ella's getting hungry." Patsy told them, then they walked off side by side to find the Mall Rats.

"Salene had planned for a ceremony, to remember our friends, dead and missing. She never got round to doing it. And well, I guess now she never will. So I thought, we could all go to the beach, and I could perform one." Tai-San told them all.  
"That's a nice idea Tai-San, but what about Rikki and CJ, and Lacey and Rider, they're not one of us." Ryan told her.  
"Well, why don't we state our commitment to each other as a tribe again?" Trudy suggested. "And if they wanted, they could be one of us to." She added smiling at them.  
"What's the point?! There's hardly any of us left, not the original Mall Rats anyway. Half of the people here we hardly even know! And if we don't live in the mall anymore, why call ourselves Mall Rats? We don't even have a home, so what's the point?" Amber shouted at Tai-San, then stormed off, followed by Bray, whocould barely walk.  
"Amber! Slow down. That was not called for. Those guys are just kids, well, Rikki and CJ anyway, how do you think that made them feel? I know you're upset about our babies, but there's no need to take it out on them!" Bray told her angrily.  
"Oh, well we all know whose side your on now don't we! The way you're talking it sounds like out kids don't even exist! Well they do Bray, they might not be here with us, where they should be, but they're alive somewhere! And they'll come back to us one day, but with you for a father, I hope they don't!" Amber shouted at him at the top of her voice, then stormed off.  
Bray went to follow her, but Trudy then chases up to them. "Bray, lave her, I'll talk to her."  
"What have I done Trudy?" He asked her confused.  
"I can't tell you everything Bray, that's up to Amber, but believe me, it's better if you don't know." Trudy sighed, and placed her hand on his shoulder.  
"Oh, girls in it together right? Just get lost Trudy, I don't need you, and I certainly don't need her, why don't you just leave?! You were never wanted here in the first place, go back to your chosen friends!" Bray snapped back at her angrily.  
"Bray" Bray cut Trudy off.  
"Forget it, you and me are over, tell Amber when she gets back, I'll be gone."  
Bray told her in an evil way, and walked back to the other then collected his things.  
He watched Trudy chase after Amber, then he said bye to the others, and left the camp. Was he ever coming back?

Tai-San moved uneasy in her bed, she couldn't get back to sleep, she just continued to have nightmare after nightmare about the Technos invading. It was so weird, the Lacey had come to the Mall that day, and now Tai-San was having the strangest of dreams. She swung round drastically as a flash vision of Lex being killed clouded her, the Lex let out a yell of pain. Tai-San jumped, and realized she was safe, it was a nightmare after all, and she had just smacked Lex in the face with her hand!  
"Tai-San! What was that for?" Lex moaned as she had woke him, and he was still half-asleep.  
"Oh, Lex, I'm sorry, I just had the strangest dream, nightmare even. I'm sorry."  
Tai-San apologized as she turned to her husband.  
"Yeah, well nightmare or not, it'll have top wait till morning." Lex yawned, and gave Tai-San a kiss, then turned to go back to sleep.  
Tai-San waited to say something, but it was no good, he fell right back to sleep, and was already snoring! She couldn't get back to sleep, so got up for a drink at the Caf.  
"Who's there?" She jumped as Lacey emerged from the shadows.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I couldn't find any candles." Lacey explained, and gestured a seat beside her. Tai-San pulled the chair out, and sat by Lacey, who was clasping her mug in her hands, full to the rim with hot chocolate that she had stolen from the Technos!  
"You seem nice, an okay kid, but I want the truth, and don't say you got fed up of them bossing you around. Because I know everything!" Tai-San warned her, as the visions of her nightmare kept re-occurring in her head.

It had been a long night for the Mall Rats as they were all curious to why Lacey had really left the Technos. Tai-San had been affected most however, as she was the one who had the vision/nightmare, and she was the one asking all the questions. Lacey hadn't told her a lot, only that she had no choice but to leave, and that they were planning an invasion, but that was all really.  
"This is great isn't it, all four of us together like this." Piper smiled. "If only Latisha was here though." She then sighed, and remembered her sister.  
"Latisha will be back, I know it." Lacey smiled at her friend, as Ebony sat and felt an outcast.  
"You're quiet this morning." Piper said to her, but she didn't reply, she just sat daydreaming. "Hello, anyone in?" Piper laughed, and eventually Ebony caught on.  
"Oh, yeah, um sorry. Latisha, yeah, she'll be back, the three of us have a lot of catching up to do!" Ebony laughed, trying to raise their hope a little.  
"We can't dwell on the past now, I mean look at Aaliyah and Brady, they are both so young. Then there's Amber, she just lost her babies and may never see them again. Those kids are the future, we have to think about them now. I don't know any of those guys well yet, but I do know that they are all strong, and will do everything to get them back, for the kids' sakes." Piper smiled, and began to think positive as her morning coffee began to kick in!

At the other side of the Caf, Jet, May and Zeke were half-asleep still as they tried to recover desperately from their hangovers! KC still hadn't returned from the Casino, and the others began to worry.  
"I guess you guys won't be going out again in a hurry!" Ryan laughed as he sat with them, Salene and him were arguing again, and decided to take a break for now.  
"Don't start Ryan!" May rolled her eyes.  
"And I thought the Mall Rats were boring do-gooders!" Jet laughed, then came to a sudden stop as she felt a headache coming.  
"You guys didn't see KC in your travels did you?" Ryan queried.  
"I don't think so, maybe, can't really remember!" Zeke giggled, still a little tipsy from the previous night. "You should come with us next time Ryan, loosen up a little." He added.  
Ryan looked over at Salene, who was laughing with Pride and Trudy. "Yeah, maybe I will Zeke, maybe." Ryan replied.  
Pride rose from the table, and walked past May to get some bread. May looked up at him, and he just gave her a dirty look, she then slouched back down in her chair, and gazed at Zeke. She could vaguely remember the two of them kissing, but he was all over Jet too, so her feelings were confused. And the Casino had made her realize that she and Pride would never work, as they were two completely different people.

"Guys! Come quick, there's something wrong with Danni!" Ellie shouted as she noticed Danni lying lifeless on the floor of her room.  
"Oh no!" Trudy sighed.  
"Danni, can you hear me? Danni?" Ellie shook her gently, and Danni started to come round.  
"Where am I?" Danni moaned, as everything appeared as a blur.  
"Danni, it's me, Ellie, you're in the Mall, remember?" Ellie told her, as Danni struggled to keep her eyes open.  
"Mall? Ellie? What is this place, who is everyone?" Danni asked her confused.  
"You don't know me, the mall, Danni if this is a joke?" Ellie told her gulping hard.  
"Who's Danni?" She asked, and drifted back to sleep.  
"She's burning up, she doesn't know anything, not even her own name." Ellie worried.  
"What's wrong with her?" Lex asked.  
"Dunno, she just drifted to sleep, she doesn't know a single thing.  
"Okay, everyone, the Caf, now." Trudy told them, and they all stood round the tables, to discuss what was wrong with Danni.

"KC, I don't get it. I'm fine here, I may be on my own, but I like living here, it's like a my home." Rikki told him, as KC sighed.  
"No, this isn't a home, it's a Casino, where guys twice your age come to get drunk, what kinda place is this to be living in?" KC told her.  
"KC, what are you getting at?" CJ asked him curiously.  
"Well doh, come back to the Mall with me. See what you think, just stay for one night, and if you don't like it, you can come back here." KC tried to get them to accept.  
"What makes you so eager for me to come to the Mall with you?" Rikki laughed slightly.  
"You guys are my friends, and there's no one at the Mall my age, Cloe's dead, Patsy's gone. I just wanna do something good for a change.  
"Guys? Don't you mean Rikki?" CJ told him puzzled.  
"Look, the two of you, my age, no family or friends, just us, no proper home to go to, and I have no one my age at the Mall, so, what I'm suggesting, is that the three of us go back to the Mall now, talk it over with the leaders, then you can see what you think." KC explained to them, for like the sixtieth time!  
"I dunno KC, what about my job?" Rikki worried.  
"If you're a Mall Rat, you won't need a job, we get everything we want we're like top dogs. Look, I stayed in the streets two nights in a row, so why don't you guys give the Mall ago? Then we're even." KC tried to convince them.  
"Okay, okay, I don't see what harm it can do." CJ shook his head.  
"Yeah, okay then. Just a trial period though." Rikki told him.  
"Yes!" KC smiled, and then the three headed for the Mall.

"Alice, we've had enough, tell Ebony she can stick her dumb tribe idea, we're leaving." Zan told Alice, who looked shocked.  
"What?!" Alice snapped back. "You can't just up and leave like this, where will you all go?" Alice asked them, trying to think of a reason for them to stay.  
"Rumors are the Technos are gonna take power of this place, we want a part of it." Zan told her.  
"R Rumors, you're leaving Ebony, for rumors?!" Alice laughed, not genuinely though.  
"Well, it's better then slaving our guts out for something that won't even work out." Zan shook his head.  
"Fine, you know what, forget it, but don't expect me to tell Ebony for you, do it yourself!" Alice shouted, and left the compound to return to the city.

"Luke. What are you doing here? I thought they were letting you go" Patsy asked as she spotted Luke in the opposite room.  
"They were, never mind that though, I've got a plan, so we can all escape. The babies are in that room over there." Luke pointed, to a room opposite them, where two guards stood outside. "The Guardian is calling a meeting tonight, to discuss the Invasion. Every last Chosen member is going, even the guards. All I need is something to pick the locks with, then we can get the babies, and use one of the boats to get to the beach." Luke told them.  
"Well, that's great, oh, and I have a hair-clip if that's any good." Latisha offered in joy.  
"Sure, pass it here." Luke told her.  
Latisha pulled a sharp metal, sliver coated hair clip from her hair, and slid it along the ground to Luke. Luke picked it up, and tried the lock.  
"Yeah, this'll do great!" He smiled.  
"So, we're going home." Patsy smiled.  
"Looks that way." Latisha smiled.  
"What are you guys whispering about?!" The Guardian demanded as he walked down the stairs, Luke quickly hid the clip.  
"Talking, the usual boring stuff." Latisha smiled.  
"You may have already heard, I'm calling a meeting tonight, but you won't be invited, we'll discuss what to do with the babies, after all they are non believers, so are you three, so we'll have quite an enjoyable chat tonight." The Guardian smirked and then walked away, Jay was nowhere to be seen.

"KC! Where the hell have you been?!" Ryan shouted as KC walked into the Mall, Rikki and CJ following.  
"Chill Ryan, just out with friends." KC smiled.  
"Yeah, well get up here now, Danni's ill." Ryan told him. "Who are they?" Ryan turned back as he spotted Rikki and CJ.  
"Friends, I invited them." KC told him.  
"You should no better than to invite strangers to the mall, especially now!" Ryan shouted at him.  
"Ryan." KC moaned.  
"Just get up here now." Ryan shook his head, and the three of them hesitantly walked up to the Caf.  
"Okay, Danni's ill, and we don't know what is wrong with her. And she doesn't seem to know who she is." Pride took a stand. "The problem is, how to find out what's wrong with her, and how do we cure her." Pride stated to the others.  
"We could look through medical books." Salene suggested.  
"Yeah, that'd be a start." Tai-San agreed. "But I don't think there's that many books in the Mall, maybe at the surgery.  
"Yeah, okay, well Tai-San, Salene, Ryan, you three go to the Mall, bring back as many books as you can. If you think they'll be useful." Pride agreed.  
"Just give her some pills, that could do the trick." May blurted out.  
"May! I don't think that stuffing pills down her throat will do her any good, do you?" Pride shook his head, and May walked backwards a little rolling her eyes.  
"I think getting the books is the best thing we can do right now." Trudy said.  
"Well, what about some CD ROM's, there's bound to be some in the computer stores, electric shops." Piper suggested. "I can go look if you want."  
"No! I don't think it's a good idea you going out right now, not with The Technos out patrolling." Ebony quickly replied.  
"Agreed, but I don't see any harm on Piper going, but I'll need some of you to go with her. Jack, Pride." Tai-San replied.  
Jack and Pride nodded, and the three prepared to go out.  
"And I have something I should have told you all when I first came here." Piper stopped and told them. "The Techno leader, it isn't Jason, it's Zoot." She told them worriedly. She didn't know what had kept her from telling them; she knew they had a right to know. Maybe she just didn't wanna worry them, and with the Technos raiding the Mall, it wasn't exactly the best of times. But then again, when would be?  
"Zoot! That's impossible, we saw him die!" Lex snapped back in shock.  
"Is this true?" Trudy asked.  
Piper nodded in shame.  
"It is, Zoot is leading them, and he's planning to invade the city, soon." Lacey backed Piper up, worried to how they might react,.  
"And you didn't think to tell us this before!" Jet snapped back angrily.  
"Sorry, I just wasn't thinking straight, and then the Techno's invaded the Mall, killed one of your friends, it just didn't seem right. I'm sorry." Piper apologized.  
"No, look, it isn't your fault." Salene told her.  
"Zoot, that's the guy the Chosen worshiped right?" Zeke asked, he never lived in the city when the Loco's were around.  
"Yeah, and believe me, if he is the leader of this tribe, then we have absolutely no chance of defeating them!" Trudy panicked. Zoot was the father of her daughter, Brady. And Zoot knew about her, and he was alive, what would he do?  
"Trudy, don't panic. You'll be fine, Brady will be safe." May tried to assure her.  
"Look, Zoot is alive, and he's leading this psychotic tribe to invade our city, we have to tell the other city leaders." Ellie told them  
"Agreed, everyone who was on Danni duty, you better go now, before it gets dark, the rest of us will stay here, and discuss what we're gonna do, okay?" Lex told them.  
"Yeah, and that new Mozzie leader, Dee, get her here now, I think she's the best one to break the news to the other leaders." Tai-San told them.  
"we'll tell her you wanna see her when we go out to get the books." Salene offered.  
"Okay, well, we don't have all day, you guys better get going." Lex told them.  
Salene, Ryan and Tai-San headed to the Mozzies and to find books, while Piper, Jack and Pride went to the computer stores.

"Zoot, Rider is coming round, what are we to do with him?" Jason asked as Zoot met him at the pit.  
"Well, we're standing t the pit aren't we, so I think it's pretty obvious." Zoot told him.  
"You mean, he's going in there?" Jason smiled.  
"Any better ideas?" Zoot asked him.  
"No, no better ideas, the pit is great." Jason nodded, and the guards brought Rider forward.  
"Ass hole!" Rider shouted at Zoot.  
"Touchy." Zoot smiled. "I don't like your choice of language Rider." Zoot tutted, then smacked him with his metal padded knuckle, scraping the foreskin from his left cheek.  
"The pit by the way, that's where you're going." Jason smiled quite pleased with himself. He never liked Rider anyway.  
"You think you'll get your precious Lacey back by putting me in the pit? Well I'll tell you this, when I helped her escape, she kissed me. She loves me Jason, and I love her, so looks like you'll have to find someone else to marry." Rider teased him, and Jason went to smack him one.  
"No! Let the pit kill him." Zoot warned.  
"Well, once you're gone, she can't love you anymore, and I'll have her all to myself." Jason laughed.  
The two made a pounce for each other, but Zoot tore them apart.  
"You wanna go in too?" He said looking at Jason, who just spat at Rider's feet, and walked off.  
"I'll say one thing, when you're gone, he won't have Lacey, I will." Zoot smirked and pushed Rider back into the pit, which was crawling with rats, spiders, and anything that crawls around on a dozen legs. Rider shouted back up at Zoot, who just spat into the pit, then walked off. Two Techno's waved at him, then laughed, placing the lid over the pit, so there was no way of escape for Rider. He was there for the last days of his live, whether he liked it or not. The pit would kill him, he was gonna starve, and the rats would eat away at him like a dead piece of turkey. "KC! Where the hell have you been?!" Ryan shouted as KC walked into the Mall, Rikki and CJ following.  
"Chill Ryan, just out with friends." KC smiled.  
"Yeah, well get up here now, Danni's ill." Ryan told him. "Who are they?" Ryan turned back as he spotted Rikki and CJ.  
"Friends, I invited them." KC told him.  
"You should no better than to invite strangers to the mall, especially now!" Ryan shouted at him.  
"Ryan." KC moaned.  
"Just get up here now." Ryan shook his head, and the three of them hesitantly walked up to the Caf.  
"Okay, Danni's ill, and we don't know what is wrong with her. And she doesn't seem to know who she is." Pride took a stand. "The problem is, how to find out what's wrong with her, and how do we cure her." Pride stated to the others.  
"We could look through medical books." Salene suggested.  
"Yeah, that'd be a start." Tai-San agreed. "But I don't think there's that many books in the Mall, maybe at the surgery.  
"Yeah, okay, well Tai-San, Salene, Ryan, you three go to the Mall, bring back as many books as you can,. If you think they'll be useful." Pride agreed.  
"Just give her some pills, that could do the trick." May blurted out.  
"May! I don't think that stuffing pills down her throat will do her any good, do you?" Pride shook his head, and May walked backwards a little rolling her eyes.  
"I think getting the books is the best thing we can do right now." Trudy said.  
"Well, what about some CD ROM's, there's bound to be some in the computer stores, electric shops." Piper suggested. "I can go look if you want."  
"No! I don't think it's a good idea you going out right now, not with The Technos out patrolling." Ebony quickly replied.  
"Agreed, but I don't see any harm on Piper going, but I'll need some of you to go with her. Jack, Pride." Tai-San replied.  
Jack and Pride nodded, and the three prepared to go out.  
"And I have something I should have told you all when I first came here." Piper stopped and told them. "The Techno leader, it isn't Jason, it's Zoot." She told them worriedly. She didn't know what had kept her from telling them, she knew they had a right to know. Maybe she just didn't wanna worry them, and with the Technos raiding the Mall, it wasn't exactly the best of times. But then again, when would be?  
"Zoot! That's impossible, we saw him die!" Lex snapped back in shock.  
"Is this true?" Trudy asked.  
Piper nodded in shame.  
"It is, Zoot is leading them, and he's planning to invade the city, soon." Lacey backed Piper up, worried to how they might react,.  
"And you didn't think to tell us this before!" Jet snapped back angrily.  
"Sorry, I just wasn't thinking straight, and then the Technos invaded the Mall, killed one of your friends, it just didn't seem right. I'm sorry." Piper apologized.  
"No, look, it isn't your fault." Salene told her.  
"Zoot, that's the guy the Chosen worshiped right?" Zeke asked, he never lived in the city when the Loco's were around.  
"Yeah, and believe me, if he is the leader of this tribe, then we have absolutely no chance of defeating them!" Trudy panicked. Zoot was the father of her daughter, Brady. And Zoot knew about her, and he was alive, what would he do?  
"Trudy, don't panic. You'll be fine, Brady will be safe." May tried to assure her.  
"Look, Zoot is alive, and he's leading this psychotic tribe to invade our city, we have to tell the other city leaders." Ellie told them  
"Agreed, everyone who was on Danni duty, you better go now, before it gets dark, the rest of us will stay here, and discuss what we're gonna do, okay?" Lex told them.  
"Yeah, and that new Mozzie leader, Dee, get her here now, I think she's the best one to break the news to the other leaders." Tai-San told them.  
"We'll tell her you wanna see her when we go out to get the books." Salene offered.  
"Okay, well, we don't have all day, you guys better get going." Lex told them.  
Salene, Ryan and Tai-San headed to the Mozzies and to find books, while Piper, Jack and Pride went to the computer stores.

"Zoot, Rider is coming round, what are we to do with him?" Jason asked as Zoot met him at the pit.  
"Well, we're standing t the pit aren't we, so I think it's pretty obvious." Zoot told him.  
"You mean, he's going in there?" Jason smiled.  
"Any better ideas?" Zoot asked him.  
"No, no better ideas, the pit is great." Jason nodded, and the guards brought Rider forward.  
"Ass hole!" Rider shouted at Zoot.  
"Touchy." Zoot smiled. "I don't like your choice of language Rider." Zoot tutted, then smacked him with his metal padded knuckle, scraping the foreskin from his left cheek.  
"The pit by the way, that's where you're going." Jason smiled quite pleased with himself. He never liked Rider anyway.  
"You think you'll get your precious Lacey back by putting me in the pit? Well I'll tell you this, when I helped her escape, she kissed me. She loves me Jason, and I love her, so looks like you'll have to find someone else to marry." Rider teased him, and Jason went to smack him one.  
"No! Let the pit kill him." Zoot warned.  
"Well, once you're gone, she can't love you anymore, and I'll have her all to myself." Jason laughed.  
The two made a pounce for each other, but Zoot tore them apart.  
"You wanna go in too?" He said looking at Jason, who just spat at Rider's feet, and walked off.  
"I'll say one thing, when you're gone, he won't have Lacey, I will." Zoot smirked and pushed Rider back into the pit, which was crawling with rats, spiders, and anything that crawls around on a dozen legs. Rider shouted back up at Zoot, who just spat into the pit, then walked off. Two Techno's waved at him, then laughed, placing the lid over the pit, so there was no way of escape for Rider. He was there for the last days of his live, whether he liked it or not. The pit would kill him, he was gonna starve, and the rats would eat away at him like a dead piece of turkey.

"Okay, Zoot is out there somewhere, and he'll want revenge, he cheated his own death, so god knows what he's capable of now!" Lex told them. "Trudy, can you get Amber, she'll have to know this." Lex asked, Trudy nodded, and hurried along to Amber's room.  
"Amber, are you awake?" Trudy asked gently.  
"No." Amber moaned.  
"You have to come Amber, please. It's the Technos." Trudy told her.  
"What about them? Took another of their stray's in have we?" Amber replied sleepily.  
"Amber! No! Will you just come to the Caf? It's about Zoot." Trudy blurted out. Oops she thought, how would she explain this to Amber?!  
"Zoot's dead." Amber told her, then turned to face her, and sat up.  
"No, no, he's not." Trudy shook her head, and Amber looked on puzzled.

"Trudy, what is it, you look terrified, what do you mean, Zoot's not dead?" Amber asked her as she saw the look of fear on Trudy's fear. At first she thought she was dreaming, but she realized Trudy was very serious!

"I'm fed up with this!" Zoot shouted furiously as Jason stood awkwardly at the door.  
"The Invasion, I was thinking, as it's happening soon, then why don't we hit the city where it hurts most." Jason suggested.  
"Meaning?" Zoot pondered.  
"Well, the Mall rats, they seem to be in charge of the city, the other tribes look up to them. What I'm suggesting, is we attack the Mall, a full on attack. A few Techno's, maybe The Warriors, and raid the Mall, take their food and stuff." Jason suggested, Zoot looking intrigued.  
"That's not a bad idea Jason, and when we're there, we can get our people back." Zoot smiled.  
"People, who?" Jason wondered.  
"Piper, Latisha, Aaliyah and Lacey off course!" Zoot shouted.  
"Yes, but they aren't one of us anymore." Jason puzzled. "They're with Ebony." He added.  
"I am not stupid! I am fully aware of that! We take them back, and Ebony if we can get her, imprison them, win them over." Zoot told him.  
"Off course, that's an idea. So, when do we do it?" Jason agreed, not in the mood for an argument.  
"The Warriors, I don't they are the ones for the job, maybe your gang, the Jackels, I think they've had more experience. We can't waste anytime this time. I want your men ready by tomorrow, no hitches, understood." Zoot explained to him.  
"Yes, and will I take prisoners?" Jason enquired.  
"Bring our four back, and as many others as you can, remember, we don't want to many deaths, we need more people for us." Zoot told him, then Jason nodded, and left his room.

"The Guardian has gone, we have to make our move now." Luke told them, as they tried to act normal, whilst Luke fiddled with the lock on his door.  
Patsy and Latisha stood anxiously, as Luke struggled to unlock the door. He took quite a while, but he eventually, Patsy and Latisha wanted to cheer, but they couldn't risk the attraction. Luke crept from the cell, and managed to get the keys for the girls' room, so he unlocked it carefully placing the keys back on the hanger, and they went to get the babies.  
The three of them crept outside, where the Chosen were huddled together, as the Guardian made a speech loudly. They headed for the coast, where there was several boats, they hopped into one, and Luke pushed it out a little, then jumped in.  
"Yes!" Latisha cried in joy. "We made it!"  
"We're going home!" Patsy cheered, then they jumped as they heard Jay cry out at them, they had been caught, but would they make it to the city before they were captured again?

"So, as far as we're concerned, Ebony is in charge, she will lead us whilst the Techno's are here. I don't know what plans have been made, or what the Techno's want, but we have to stick together for now. Moz has already gone, probably left us to be one of them, so all we have now is each other, and Ebony." Dee told her tribe. She didn't trust Ebony as much as the next person, but for now, she was their only hope.  
"Dee?!" Salene cried as the she entered the Mozzies home, followed by Tai-San and Ryan. "We need you to come with us, Ebony wants to talk." Salene told her.  
"Why is she not here then?" Dee asked.  
"Look Dee, we don't have time for questions, you coming or not?" Ryan asked her.  
Dee looked at her tribe, and was hesitant to trust them or not.  
"It must be heard for any of you top trust people, especially now, but please, you have to come with us, it's urgent, Ebony must see you now." Tai-San told her, then smiled.  
"Okay, if it really is that important." Dee sighed, then turned to her tribe. "Becca, look after the tribe okay, I'm leaving you in charge." Dee trusted her friend, then left the shack.  
"What is this?" Dee asked angrily, she didn't like being pulled away from her tribe like that.  
"Ebony will tell you." Salene told her.  
The four of them headed back to the Mall, as they had already got what they needed for Danni.

"Guys, we're back!" Pride shouted up, as the Mall Rats had been sitting waiting on them to return.  
"Great, please say you found something." Ellie asked.  
"Sorry, every single store we went to, was either completely empty, or everything had been wrecked. Just pray that Tai-San had better luck, or we'll be saying good bye to another friend." Piper sighed.  
"Friend?! You don't even know Danni, none of us in fact, and now because of you're stupidity, Zoot is alive, and we didn't know until now, and the Techno's are probably on their way to attack here right now!" Amber shouted back extremely angry.  
"Amber, give her a break will you!" Ebony shouted. "It isn't her fault!"  
"Yeah, well she's you're sister, you would say that wouldn't you." Amber laughed.  
"Well I am not biased if that's what you're suggesting!" Ebony snapped back.  
"Please, guys, Danni is ill, Zoot is alive, the other haven't came back yet, Bray and Alice are missing, and Patsy, and Latisha, this isn't the time to be arguing like this." Ellie told them.  
"Ellie's right, fighting like this won't solve anything." Jet took a stand. "I know I haven't been a Mall rat that long, I never even used to like you guys, but I've gotten to know a lot of you pretty well, and you're great. I do know this, one thing I regret doing wrong with the Gulls, was letting them fight all the time, it destroyed us, and when the Techno's attacked, none of us would help each other, we were all looking out for number one. No matter how much you guys may hate each other, or not get along, it isn't worth it in the long run." Jet told them all emotionally.  
"Sorry." Amber sighed, then turned around to sit with Trudy who was shook with fear for her daughter.

"Hurry, they're gaining on us!" Latisha cried, as they jumped from the boat, and ran as fast as they could back to the Mall.  
"It's okay, they won't follow us any further, they won't risk showing themselves, not yet." Luke told them.  
"What make's you so sure?" Patsy asked.  
"Well everyone thinks the Guardian is dead, the Chosen are gone as far as the city is concerned, and that's how they want it for now." Luke replied.  
"So, keep running, I can't wait to see the others. Cloe must be so lonely!" Patsy smiled excitedly.  
"Cloe, you remember the fight don't you." Latisha told her, remembering how Jay had struck Cloe, and she had fell to the ground.  
"So, Cloe's tough, she'll have made it, come on!" Patsy smiled, not wanting to think what she knew was the truth.  
"Okay, okay, we run, and we'll make it before night fall." Luke agreed.  
"Amber will be happy to see her babies too." Latisha smiled, as she smiled at Will, who was sleeping in her arms, Patsy had Ella, and was away in front.

"Okay, we're all here now. So as far as we know. The Techno's could arrive any minute." Lex told them.  
"But how did this Zoot guy survive his death?" Dee asked.  
"Well we don't know that do we. All we know is that they could be here any minute now, and we have to be prepared. Pride answered.  
"Zoot cheated his own death in some way, and he's capable of that, he could have this city like this." Piper told them, and clicked her fingers.  
"What I suggest, is that we secure the Mall, and I want top protection over Trudy, Zoot knows he has a daughter, and Brady will probably be the first thing he comes for." Lex told them.  
"What about my tribe?" Dee asked.  
"You guys weren't around at the time of the Loco's. Dee, all we ask, is you stay with us, over night at least, we could use your help." Amber asked her.  
"Sure." Dee agreed.  
"You can let them take my baby, please don't!" Trudy cried over hearing their conversation as they thought she had been sleeping.  
"No, Trudy, it's okay, Brady and you are safe." Salene assured her.  
"Yeah, come on, why don't we go play with her just now, okay?" May suggested, not wanting Trudy to be upset by their planning any more.  
"Okay." Trudy stuttered, and then the three took her to her room.  
"First though, KC, the gambling den you go to, any sign of Techno's at it?" Tai-San asked.  
"I don't think so, ask Rikki, she works at it." KC told them uncertain.  
"Rikki, who's he?" Ryan wondered.  
"He's a she, and I'm her." Rikki rolled her eyes; people always mistook her for a guy, because of her name.  
"And you are?" Jack asked.  
"She's with me, the both of them are, just answer them Rikki." KC told her, pasting a smile.  
"No, they haven't been in, unless they've been under disguise or something." Rikki told them.

"Look!" Patsy cried, as they came face up to the front of the Mall.  
"We're here!" Latisha sighed. "Well, you first." She smiled at an excited Patsy, who ran through the main entrance, with Will now in her arms.  
"Come on then." Latisha looked at Luke, who was hesitant to go in, as he wasn't sure how Ellie would react.  
"Yeah, coming" Luke smiled.  
The two caught up with Patsy, and stopped as they got to the grills. They crept up the stairs, giving the Mall Rats a huge surprise.  
Amber choked, she wanted to thank them so much, but instead she cried, and collapsed to the ground as she saw her babies safe, and held them lovingly in her arms.  
"Latisha!" Piper cried, and hugged her gently. "You came back." She smiled at her sister. Ebony then hugged her.  
"What happened, where's Jay?" Ebony asked.  
"Long story!" Latisha laughed slightly, then she saw Lacey, holding a sleepy Aaliyah in her arms.  
"Lacey?" She smiled.  
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you." Lacey told her sympathetically.  
"You're here now." Latisha smiled. "Hey Aaliyah, hope you've been behaving yourself." Latisha teased, and Aaliyah just gave a mischievous giggle.  
"Patsy, hey!" KC smiled, and ran up to his friend. "How'd you escape?" He asked nosily.  
"Where's Cloe?" She asked confused. Patsy had realized that when she returned, Cloe wouldn't be here. She was dreading this moment, she had no idea how she would feel when she returned home to find Cloe gone. The worst thing was, that when Cloe was told Patsy was dead, now she knows how she must have felt. Patsy then began to cry, and dropped her head into KC's chest.  
"Hey, um, it's okay, still have me." KC smiled, not sure what to do, then Salene ran through in all the commotion.  
"Patsy!" She cried, and took her from KC. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay" Salene told her, and hugged her close, come on, let's go through here." Salene told her, and took her to Trudy and May.  
"Luke?" Jack shook his head and laughed. "You have on hell of a nerve showing up here, after leaving Ellie like that. Not knowing where you were, she didn't deserve you, no, I mean you never deserved her." Jack laughed, and walked away from him in disgrace.  
"Jack, it wasn't my fault!" Luke shouted back, causing the other Mall Rats to look at him in shock.  
Ellie wasn't with them however, she was siting by a sick Danni, making sure things didn't get any worse.  
"Look, I don't want any trouble, I brought Patsy and Latisha back, all I want is to see Ellie." Luke told them.  
"Ellie?!" May laughed, coming from Trudy's room. "After what you did to her!". She laughed again, the Luke rolled his eyes.  
"No, it wasn't his fault May, Luke didn't leave her, the Chosen took him prisoner." Patsy explained, running to his defense.  
"The Chosen?" Pride puzzled. "They're gone."  
"They're not, they're at Hope Island, and they have the Guardian with them, Alice didn't waste him at all." Patsy told them, and they looked on in shock.  
"No way. First the Techno's, then Zoot, now the Chosen are back!" Dee laughed. "You really think we have a chance against them now Lex?" She laughed shaking her head.  
"Huh?" Patsy asked confused. "Zoot? Something we missed?" She asked.  
"If you guys sit down, we'll explain to you." Tai-San told them.  
"Where's Ellie?" Luke asked repeatedly.  
"Luke, you'll wanna hear this. Ellie is busy, leave it okay." Amber told him calmly.  
"Okay, well as soon as you've explained whatever it is you're gonna explain, then you'll let me see Ellie." Luke told them.  
"Maybe." Jack blurted out.  
"Okay Luke, after this, just sit down will you." Ebony told him.  
Each of the Mall Rats sat down again and explained everything to Patsy, Latisha and Luke.

The night had passed quickly for most, but not for the Mall Rats. They had spent all night discussing defense plans for the Mall, agreeing that the Techno's are likely to attack them first. Jack and Latisha were pretty good with computers, so they were working on traps that would set an alarm of, or some sort of electrical warning. Ellie and Lacey watched over a sick Danni, after they couldn't find anything relating to her illness. Amber and Trudy were gonna be locked away in a room with their babies, along with Patsy, Aaliyah, Cloudy and Porky. KC hid CJ and Rikki in the sewers where they were to stay until after the attack. May and Jet were on booby traps. Lex, Pride, Zeke and Luke were on ground level, and had to stop the Techno's getting up to the Caf. Tai-San and KC were on the stairs, which had been covered with a slippery substance. The remaining Mall Rats, including Dee, were scattered in different areas, where they would surprise attack separate Techno's. Piper, Lacey and Latisha were also helping in the fight, despite their other duties, and the fact they could be main targets. While the Mall Rats had everything planned out, Jason and Zoot had just told their men to prepare for a fight, take prisoners whenever they have the chance, and no bloodshed. Zoot also had plans to get Brady, in a bid to get one over on Trudy, for leaving him for Bray. Rider was still in the pit, but three fellow Techno's had agreed to help him escape in time to warn Piper and the others, as they didn't entirely agree with the Invasion. The Chosen were furious with the escape, but they had plans to return sometime. Alice was getting closer to the city, but wasn't sure to go back or not. Danni was getting worse, Tai-San had concocted some remedy, but it didn't have any effect. The Mall Rats were together again, complete at last, well except from Bray and Alice, but for now, they were a tribe, but with an extremely ill leader, and a huge battle coming their way

"The Mozzies are leaderless, and are a pretty big tribe, high in the leader ranks. But they have been left without a leader, there leader, Dee is at the Mall, so I say we attack them first, then head for the Mall." Jason told his men, as Zoot agreed, but he would meet them at the Mall, as he wanted to scout around first. The crowds left the Stadium, which was practically empty now, as all the groups had been sent out to attack individual tribes, while about five had been left to look after the place. Rider was in the pit, starving and cold, but all that was about to change.

"I know you don't wanna go just now, but it's better if you do, okay." Tai-San told them, as Trudy and Amber took the kids into the room in which Lex and the other guys were gonna build a barricade.  
"Guys! Guys! Change of plan. Dee just had a report from her tribe. The Techno's have left the Stadium; they're attacking now. They want Brady, and the others that are here." Jack told them, running up the stairs.  
"Others?" Amber puzzled.  
"Piper and those guys, I think we'll have t barricade them in here with you too, okay." Jack suggested.  
"Okay, no arguments, you heard Jack, we don't have a lot of time left." Lex agreed, and Piper, Lacey and Latisha were herded in with Amber and Trudy, then the barricade was built.  
"So Jack, any other news, numbers, weapons, what?" Lex asked him eagerly.  
"No, they were in quite a hurry, they didn't have time to tell us any more." Jack told him, taking a breath between each word.  
"You think they'll come straight for us?" KC asked.  
"Probably, we dunno, so everyone get into position now. They'll either come through the car park or sewers, either way, we'll have to be ready." Ebony told them.

Three Techno's headed for the unguarded pit, as the coast was clear, they struggled to lift the heavy lid from it, but managed eventually. They reached down, to pull Rider out, and helped him to his feet. Rider smiled, wanting to thank them, but none of them could utter a word, or they risked getting caught. He looked to the sky, which he hadn't seen for two days, and breathed in the sweet, fresh air. Then he realized no more time could be wasted, he had to escape now, and warn his friends. He shook hands with the three men who saved him, and ran from the Stadium, the alarm went of as soon as he set foot outside of the compound, but all Rider could do was run as fast as he could, and unlucky for him, that wasn't very fast as he hadn't eaten in almost three days, and had no energy in him at all. The city was chaotic, the tribes were in fear, warring amongst each other, like old days, as the Techno's roared through the streets, taking every person they saw, as prisoners. Rider leapt from rubbish heap to rubbish heap, and tried desperately to dodge being captured, again! He passed two patrol vans, filled with Techno's and prisoners. Rider felt a thud of guilt in him, he couldn't believe that the tribe he was once a member of, was steeping so low, and simply for power of a city. He tried to catch a glimpse inside each truck, but all he could see were frightened and confused kids, not knowing if they were going to be killed, or to be tortured for some unknown reason. Rider hadn't been in the city much, he lived in the countryside most of his life, before the virus anyway. Then he joined Zoot and Jay, where they formed the Techno's. In those days, Zoot was a changed man, he wasn't as power crazed or as murderous as he once had been, he still liked to be in charge, get his on way, but he did this without the use of force. Then he met Jason, and that was where everything changed. But Rider had no time to spend grieving the past, he had to look to the future. He had to get to the Mall, save his friends. The Mall was quite a distance from the Stadium, but at the speed Rider was travelling at, he was there in no time. He didn't know which way to go in, the last time they had all went in separate ways, but this time, he agreed to himself that the best way in was the main entrance, so s not to attract too much attention to himself. The Mall Rats were all in hiding, waiting for the Techno's to arrive, and with Rider entering the Mall, that had disturbed them, and they all pounced on him like a bunch of wild hyenas, waiting on their prey!  
"Wait! I came to warn you, please!" Rider screamed, Lex pulled his men back, and gave Rider a chance to speak.  
"Okay, so who are you, what tribe you with, and what are you doing here?" Pride asked him.  
"My name is Rider, I come from the Techno's." He told them, as they were about to lash out on him again. "No! Wait, I left them though. They were gonna have me killed, I think you have my friend here, Lacey. I helped her escape. I came to warn you, that the Techno's are coming here, today, to get back their people, and the child of Zoot." Rider explained, extremely short of breath.  
"Yes, well, they are gonna find all this out sooner or later Rider." Zoot smiled, as he entered the Mall after dodging the traps in the sewers.  
"On your own are you Zoot?" Lex shook his head. "Risky is it not."  
"Ah Lex, the one who tried to have me killed, care to finish things now." Zoot asked.  
"I wouldn't waste my energy." Lex replied, as Tai-San looked on worried.  
"What, the wonderful, powerful Lex, a wimp, chicken for a fight. Well, wife does have you trained doesn't she." Lex teased and looked at Tai-San. Zoot seemed to know a lot about the goings on of the city and the Mall Rats.  
"Leave Tai-San out of this!" Lex snapped back.  
"Nice little catch you got there Lex, hate to see anything change that, or should I say, anyone." Zoot smiled devilishly.  
Lex was clearly getting very frustrated and lounged straight for Zoot, and the two began to fight one and other. Then all of a sudden the alarms started buzzing everywhere, the Techno's were on their way in.  
"Get your hands of him!" One of the Techno's screamed as a herd of them came roaring into the Mall, straight in for the kill.  
"Find the baby and Piper!" Jason demanded, and he took four of his men up the stairs, over powering KC and Tai-San.  
"Trudy, it's okay!" Amber convinced her.  
"No, they want my baby, they'll take Brady, and I'll never see her again. I couldn't cope if I lost her again!" Trudy cried in fear, holding Brady close, as the others paced around anxiously.  
"Get back!" Jack shouted as three Techno's attacked him, and tore down the barricade.  
Trudy hid behind the bed, and Amber stood to her feat.  
"The baby isn't here, she's in the sewers!" Amber panicked, and the three of them looked around cautiously, then grabbed Piper and Lacey, as Latisha had been hiding with Trudy.  
"No!" Ebony screamed as she ran to help her sisters, but Zoot knocked her unconscious with a metal bar.  
Two Techno's then went down to the sewers to find Brady, but there was no sign of them, instead they found CJ and Rikki, and took them prisoner. Ebony, Lacey, Piper, CJ and Rikki were dumped in a truck, while the battle went on.  
"Stop it!" Trudy shouted as she nervously walked from her hiding place.  
"No Trudy!" Amber whispered. "They'll take you and Brady!" She told her.  
"No Amber, they want me and Brady, take us, please, no more fighting okay." Trudy pleaded, giving herself up.  
"Hey babes." Zoot smiled, as he got Jason to drag her down the steps, and took Brady from her. Trudy screamed for her baby back, but was just put with the other prisoners.  
"Carry on." Zoot told them, and the fighting continued, the Techno's went for Ryan, so Salene jumped to his defense, getting struck down in her steps.  
"Salene!" Ryan cried. "Salene, are you okay." He asked her, as she lay in pain on the floor after falling down the stairs.  
"Ryan." She whispered back. "Don't let me go." She begged him, tears trickling down her cheek.  
"No, Salene, it's okay, you just hit your head.  
"Don't lie, you were always useless at that!" Salene smiled painfully. "I'm sorry." She told him, Ryan tried not to cry. "I never meant to hurt you, all those times, I swear I didn't. Every time I left you, you were so hurt, I am truly, sorry." Salene told him emotionally.  
"Salene, please, stop it, you're gonna make it." Ryan told her choking in fear.  
"I love you Ryan." She told him, and gently touched his face, then tilted her head to the fight, took one last breath, and she was gone.  
"Salene!" Ryan screamed, then lounged straight for a near by Techno, beating him violently.  
Patsy crept down the stairs, as she saw her friends being dragged away. "No." She cried to herself as she saw Salene lying on the ground. Patsy bent down beside her, and held her close, and started to cry.  
A Techno then dragged her from the person who had been like a mother to her, Patsy had already lost her parents, then Bob, then Cloe, now Salene, who next.  
Alice then entered the Mall, and looked for Ellie, frantic with worry, she had no idea what was going on.  
"Get away, leave us alone!" Ellie pushed away the Techno's, as she tried to protect a sick Danni, who was bed ridden, and unaware of what was going on.  
"Ellie!" Alice shouted as she saw her at the foot of the stairs.  
"Alice?!" Ellie replied in joy. "Help me!" she then screamed as the Techno's tried to take her.  
"Leave my little sister alone!" Alice warned him, then punched him to the ground.  
"Where have you been?!" Ellie cried in shock.  
The two of them hugged, but then the Techno Alice punched, took out as pen like object, and shot Alice in the leg with it. She dropped to the ground, and fell unconscious.  
"No, Alice! Alice!" Ellie screamed, as the Techno's ran down the stirs.  
"Fall back! Everyone fall back. Take prisoners, now. Move, move, move!" Zoot told them, as they all ran through the sewers to the vehicles that drove them back to the city.  
It was a very, very long day, and by the time the fighting had stopped, the city was in ruins, and everyone in pain. The Mall Rats sat exhausted in the Caf, looking round to see so many faces gone, dead or alive, none of them knew. They had killed Cloe, Salene, and Alice, took the rest prisoners, who knows what will happen next?

The End...'till the upcoming sequel!


End file.
